Honor
by kittycat69
Summary: AU. It's all about honor in these kingdoms. But sometimes, you have to learn to follow your heart instead. Besides, Annie was never much of a traditionalist... AuggiexAnnie ArthurxJoan JaixReva
1. No Way Out

**a/n: This is an Alternate-Universe Covert Affairs story. Please enjoy!**

****May it be noted that Auggie is NOT blind in this story. **

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Covert Affairs.

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><p><strong>Honor<strong>

**Chapter One: **No Way Out

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><p><em>Click<em>

_Click_

_Click_

Annie grimaced in annoyance at the sound of her heels on the floor.

The guards didn't notice though, or rather they valued their lives too much to admit that their princess annoyed them in any way. Whichever it was, the guards seemed content to stand at attention outside of the chamber doors with spears in hand. They observed Annie as she paced frantically in front of them. She waited impatiently to be admitted into the room within.

The irate princess swiveled and fixed the guard on the left with a stern glare. She sensed more than heard his snicker. It wasn't her fault she had to wear this stupid frilly dress, but the guard knew better than to comment on it openly when she was in this mood. Most of the princess's dresses were simple and plain and were usually darker in color. That is, if she wore them at all. Annie preferred to spend her time around wearing boy's britches, which were much more comfortable to move in. However, she got scolded whenever she was caught. This pink monstrosity she was currently wearing was not her idea, nor was she pleased with it. It was a favorite of her sister's; Danielle always had loved any shade pink.

Annie winced at the memory of that morning...

_"This one!" Danielle turned to her younger sister. She held up the dress proudly. Annie glared at Danielle, "Aw, come on it'll look great on you. You need to wear brighter colors! Besides, father doesn't summon you very often, so it's important that you dress nicely."_

_She moved to hold the dress up to Annie. The pink crushed velvet contrasted nicely with her skin._

_Annie sighed at the offending dress, "Do I have to?"_

_"Yes!" Danielle practically shoved the dress at Annie, who was forced to take it. Danielle then hurried into her own chambers, which were across the hall, before the younger sister could do or say anything to object, "Now change, Annie! You don't want to be late!"_

Annie snapped back to the present when the massive doors were opened to allow her entrance. A seemingly disembodied voice announced her.

"Announcing the arrival of Princess Annie!"

Ignoring the booming voice, Annie marched briskly across the freshly polished, white marble floor. The clicks of her heels echoed through the vast, empty chamber. When she reached the throne she gave a short curtsy.

"You sent a summons for me, father?" Annie spoke towards the floor.

The usually gruff king smiled down at his youngest daughter.

"Yes. My dearest Annie, I have been thinking..."

_'Uh-oh. This doesn't sound good for me!_' Annie tried to squash the thought.

Her father continued, "Annie, it's time you grew up a bit. Now don't say anything," he cautioned as the princess opened her mouth to protest, "I will not be swayed on this. You are the youngest of my two daughters. And, as youngest, you will be needed to make certain sacrifices for our kingdom. It is high time that you had a suitor. Someone of strong and noble birth. However, since most nobles from our kingdom are familiar with your..." the King sighed as he continued, "…shall we say, quirks...I have decided to send you off to France to engage you to the King Henry's only son, Prince Jai."

Again, Annie opened her mouth to protest.

"That's not fair!" Annie raised her head to stare her father in the eyes, "Why am I being sent off to France while Danielle, your eldest daughter, gets to remain here in England! You won't let me do anything! I have no freedom! I'm controlled left and right because it's not 'proper princess behavior'! Is this revenge for being too boyish?"

The King stood from his throne. He towered over his daughter, "Annie! That's quite enough!"

Annie's jaw snapped shut at her father's tone.

The King continued to address his daughter, "How dare you speak to me that way! I am your father as well as your King! At this rate, you'll never have a suitor in England! They know of your improper, boyish behavior and do not wish to court you," the King sighed and sat back down in his throne. He continued in a slightly softer tone, "Annie, I'm only trying to do what's best for you and what's best for this great kingdom. It is a great honor to sacrifice yourself for our Kingdom. This arrangement is what is best for all of us," He motioned a hand towards the door, "Now, go pack your things, Annie. You leave for France in two days."

Annie opened her mouth to protest again, "But father—!"

"This discussion is over, Annie!" The King interrupted, "You are dismissed! Leave me at once!"

The King glared hard at his daughter, who turned and ran out of the chamber without looking back. The King sighed loudly as the chamber doors banged shut behind her.

"I hope I'm doing the right thing," The King mused aloud to himself. His voice echoed in the large chamber, "But she needs to grow up. She's not a little military boy running amongst my kingdom. She's a lady. A Princess. And it's high time she started acting like one."

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><p>Annie pressed her face harder into the pillow, ashamed of her tears. Danielle patted her back gently as she tried to soothe the distressed maiden.<p>

"I'm sure it'll all work out, sister dear," she explained, "Besides, you get to go to France! Isn't that exciting? I hear it's lovely there. The weather is warmer and the people dress so fashionably."

Annie's reply was muffled by the pillow, "If you're so excited about it, you go!"

"That's not what I meant and you know it," Danielle snapped back, "You just need to look on the bright side of things."

Annie sat up to address her sister, "It's not fair though! Just because I don't like embroidery or dancing or frilly dresses, father thinks I'll never marry!"

Danielle sighed, "I'm sure it's more than just that. Dresses and dancing aren't what's important."

Annie rolled her eyes, "Oh, yes they are. You love dresses and dancing and you don't have a thing to worry about; all the men love you!"

"Now that's not true—" Danielle started, but Annie cut her off.

"Yes, it is. Sir Michael, for one...Shall I continue?" Annie looked up from the soaked pillow to give Danielle a dry grin, "Take your pick, sis!"

Danielle flushed slightly, "It just means you haven't found someone who appreciates your personality. That doesn't mean you're hopeless!"

"To father it does," Annie wiped at her tears ruefully, "Besides, I better start packing. I leave for France in two days. I have a long journey ahead of me."


	2. Storm

**Honor**

**Chapter Two: **Storm

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><p>The night had passed fitfully for Princess Annie, but morning brought her comfort as the sky was darkened with the promise of imminent rain. (She secretly hoping that a storm would begin and her concerned father would postpone the trip.) But the universe wasn't working in her favor, apparently.<p>

Annie shoved the dark green dress brutally into the spacious trunk. The princess brushed off her hands and drew herself up. She gave the truck a hard kick for good measure. Her maidservant, Reva, stood off to the side as she watched the princess pack. She seemed to be torn between informing the princess that it was not her station to be packing her own things or joining in on Annie's trunk abuse. She was not overly thrilled about the move either. Sense prevailed, though, and her voice came meekly in the large room.

"Annie?"

The Princess turned to address her maidservant.

"Yes, Reva? If it's about me packing my own things, I'd rather you didn't say it," She sighed loudly as she turned to glare at the trunk at her feet, "I've had my fill of being a proper princess. All it's gotten me is a one way trip to a distant kingdom in France to marry someone I don't want _anything _to do with."

Reva took a step toward the Princess, "Forgive me, but may I at least help? His Highness would have a fit if he knew you were packing your own trunk."

Annie opened her mouth to respond, but a mild tap on the door cut her off. Annie recognized the knock as that of a servant, probably a young vassal of her father's. Nobles knocked with authority, three sharp taps. The maidservants gave two knocks that were neither loud nor soft, a happy medium. Those who were unfamiliar with the part of the castle reserved for royal chambers knocked timidly. Those who knew of her family reputation as the 'black sheep' also knocked timidly, except for those who she was personally acquainted with.

Reva moved to open the door. Sure enough, it was a young lad at the door. He wore a tunic that bore her father's emblem. He bowed uncertainly to Annie, and the Princess realized that he must have heard her kick the truck. He must think of her as a violent maniac.

"Good day, P-Princess Annie. His H-Highness the King wishes m-me to inform you t-that you are not to p-pack your own things..." He trailed off meekly. He fidgeted noticeably.

Annie sighed loudly, "Of course I can't. Dismissed."

The boy turned tail and nearly ran out of the room.

She shifted her attention back to Reva, "Father certainly knows me too well," she gave a dark chuckle, "You win, Reva. Should I pick them out and you put them in the truck?"

Reva nodded solemnly, but laughed internally at the poor boy. Annie was by no means a cruel person; she simply didn't like the ways of being a proper princess. She preferred boy's breeches and riding horses to pink ruffles and fine china. That was just her personality. Those who mistook her stubbornness and tomboyishness for rudeness or weirdness needed only to get to know her.

Reva only hoped that the French nobles would give Annie a chance.

The packing went quietly for a few minutes, except for a few exasperated moans from Annie upon finding a particularly bright or frilly dress. The solitude was interrupted again by yet another knock. This time, it was Annie who crossed the room and opened the mahogany door, since she was closer to it. The Princess was annoyed by the interruptions to her quiet packing system.

Annie flung the chamber door wide open and confronted the interlopers with all her regal fury, "You can just go tell my father that I'm not packing my own things, so he can stop sending you up here, thank you very much!"

She was about to slam the door shut when she paused to look at those she had just yelled at.

"Well, that was a nice welcome, Princess," a man chuckled sarcastically.

Annie took him in first. He was dressed in the traditional clothing of a royal knight, though he wore no helmet. He was well built and tall. He had black hair that was just starting to grey around the sides. His younger companion was dressed similarly, with messy brown hair and a slightly-larger build. Both men wore amused smiles on their faces.

"Um..." Annie flushed, "I'm sorry, I thought you were one of my father's vassals coming to pester me to be proper again..."

Luckily, Reva had joined the Princess at the chamber door, "Won't you please come in," she asked courteously. She bobbed slightly in a small curtsy.

"Thank you," the brown-haired man spoke. Annie and Reva stepped aside to let them pass. They bowed to Annie as they entered.

"Princess Annie, I presume," mused the black-haired knight, "Hopefully we are in the right place. These castles are quite large and confusing."

"That is correct, I am Princess Annie," Annie turned to her guests, "But I am still in the dark as to who you two are."

The black-haired man nodded before he went on to say, "I am Sir Arthur, and this is Sir August. Or Auggie, as he prefers to be called," Arthur motioned to Auggie, who nodded his hello, "We were sent by your father, but not to scold you into being proper. We are to be your guards during your journey and during your time in France."

Annie laughed out loud, even though it wasn't proper for her to do so in front of guests,"'During my time in France', hah! You make it sound as though I'm coming back! They intend to marry me off to this Prince Jai! I doubt I'll ever see this castle again!"

"Well, thinking like that won't get you anywhere," reasoned the one identified as Auggie. He smiled at her, "You never know what might happen, Princess."

Annie heard the familiar sound of rain pattering against the stone walls outside, "I don't know what _you_ think is going to happen, Sir Auggie, but I hear certainly wedding bells..."


	3. Goodbye Home

**Honor**

**Chapter Three: **Goodbye Home

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><p>Clad haughtily in a plain, black, crushed velvet gown, Princess Annie descended the large marble staircase towards the main banquet hall. She was trailed dutifully by her new knights, Sir Auggie and Sir Arthur. They had insisted that their guard duties began the night before she left and promptly stuck themselves to her like glue. They only left her presence when she announced loudly and pointedly that she had to change for dinner. Her wardrobe choice, the solid black gown with no garnishes, ruffles, lace, or other flippantly, was one last defiant stand against her father.<p>

Danielle cast a quick glance behind her. She gave her sister a small smile. In an effort to support her younger sibling, Danielle wore a dress identical to Annie's in a shade of deep blue. Annie had serious doubts that Danielle even owned something black, so she took the blue dress as her sister's way of trying to stand with her. In normal circumstances, they were required to dress up at formal dinners such as this, but this was Annie's farewell banquet and she intended to dress however she felt like.

Annie and Danielle's choices of dresses did not fail to catch the attention of their father. As they entered the room, he gave them both a dark look from the head of the table. Annie smiled sternly at her father. She saw Danielle's uncomfortable shift out of the corner of her eye. Annie understood her sister's discomfort; Danielle was usually on their father's good side and didn't like the look he was giving them. Deciding to show him that she wasn't afraid of his wrath, Annie stepped boldly toward her place at the table on her father's right side. Sir Auggie pulled out her chair for her and she sat. She pulled her napkin down to rest in her lap. Another guard gave Danielle similar treatment.

The King rose and banged his goblet on the large oak table. This caused the entire room full of nobles to jump in their seats and switch their attention to their King.

"Welcome everyone! We are here to celebrate to engagement of my youngest daughter, Princess Annie, to Prince Jai of France!"

The mild applause that sounded died out quickly as the entire room caught a glare from Annie.

Her father continued like he hadn't noticed, "I would like to propose a toast," He raised the goblet, "To Princess Annie, may you have a happy marriage, many heirs, and a wonderfully fulfilling life in France!"

"To Princess Annie," the crowd echoed in unison as they raised their own glasses. Danielle peered intently at Annie though the crystal goblet she herself had raised. She watched her sister's face for any show of emotion. The younger princess looked off into nothingness, not even bothering to look up as the servants entered and placed their food in front of them. Moving like on autopilot, Annie picked up her fork and began eating.

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><p>Self-consciously, Annie brushed at her skirt with a satin-gloved hand. This dress had been specially made for the trip, it was a deep blue satin with a thick petticoat underneath for warmth. Annie tucked a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear. She turned to Reva, who was adjusting her own dark green dress, which was also new.<p>

A knock sounded at the door. Sirs Arthur and Auggie entered without waiting for someone to answer their knock.

"Your trunk has been placed in the carriage," Arthur announced.

"Are you ready to leave, Princess?" Auggie asked.

Annie nodded resolutely, "I-I think so. Let's go, Reva."

Arthur and Auggie led the way out the door and down the large marble staircase to the courtyard.

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><p>Danielle and the King were already in the courtyard when the group arrived. Upon seeing Annie, Danielle ran forward and threw her arms around her.<p>

"Be careful, sister dear," she whispered. Annie could hear that her sister was beginning to cry.

Annie managed a small smile, "Of course. You won't always be there to protect me, you know."

Danielle nodded. She stepped back and fumbled for her kerchief.

Annie turned to her father, "Farewell, father," She made no move to hug him.

He stood stiffly, unsure of how to handle her, "Farewell, daughter," he gave her a swift nod and a stern look, "And do try to behave yourself. The fate of this alliance rests on your marriage."

Annie didn't respond. She instead turned to allow Sir Auggie to help her into the carriage.

Moments later, Annie heard the sound of the whip crack. She felt the wheels start to turn beneath her. Annie gazed out the window as the castle drew further away. A single tear trailed down her cheek.

"Goodbye, home."

"Are you alright, Princess?" Sir Auggie asked gently.

Annie just looked out the window and said nothing. She hoped the guard would understand her silent language. Apparently he did because she heard him scoot away from her side.

Then the tears began to fall from her eyes.


	4. Daughter of France

**Honor**

**Chapter Four: **Daughter of France

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><p>A week later, the train of carriages containing Princess Annie and her dowry had arrived in France. Determined not to like it, Annie gazed purposefully towards the carriage wall. She refused to even glace out the window. Reva, on the other hand, stared eagerly outside as she took in the landscape with muffled 'oohs' and 'ahhs'. Annie cast a slightly disgusted look in her maidservant's direction, but couldn't blame the woman for being curious. If she hadn't been so committed to hating it, she would've been in awe of France as much as Reva was.<p>

"Oh, Annie! Look, there's the castle!" Reva turned around and grabbed at Annie's arm to pull her towards the window, "It's huge! Look!"

Annie sniffed and feigned indifference. But she was just as excited as Reva. It _was _a huge castle, after all. Bigger than her old one in England.

The carriage rolled up a large cobblestone path that led to the massive structure. Caught up in the moment, Annie lingered at the window as the castle grew closer and began to tower above them.

Suddenly, the carriage rumbled to a halt as they awaited the castle drawbridge to be lowered. When it was down, the carriage train crossed and then came to a final halt in the courtyard. Anne and Reva moved to the door and anxiously awaited its opening.

Right on cue, Sir Arthur opened the door from the outside and held up a hand to assist Annie as she stepped down. A vassal of the French court announced her to the gathered crowd.

"Princess Annie of England!"

Annie's face fell as she remembered why she had come to France in the first place. Directly in front of her stood the intimidating King Henry of France. Despite his cold demeanor, he was smiling as he placed a hand on a young man's shoulder. The younger man had darker hair and skin than his father. He scowled at his father's touch and turned his attention towards his new bride-to-be. He gave Annie a half-hearted smile and Annie got the distinct feeling that he didn't want to be in this situation either.

"Welcome, Princess Annie!" The King's booming voice silenced all commotion in the courtyard as all eyes turned to focus on him. Annie was jolted out of her thoughts.

"Your Majesty," Annie murmured. She went down into a deep, French-style curtsy. As she did so, she mentally cursed the French formality. She had never much cared for French styles and hadn't paid much attention when being taught their way of doing things. She pulled it off though, and waited for the King to make the next move.

"No need to be so formal!" He stepped forward and drew Annie up into a great bear hug. Annie got the impression that King Henry was the type of man who bent the rules and always got what he wanted, "Soon you will be the Daughter of France, and my own daughter as well!" He released her, "Come, child, and meet your future husband, my son, Prince Jai!"

The King placed arm around Annie's shoulders and drew her forward until she was in front of the man.

"Good day, Princess Annie," Jai offered. He clenched his jaw slightly.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Annie replied, "Good day, Prince Jai."

_'Let this end,' _she prayed silently.

Thankfully, the King seemed to be on a similar thought train to Annie's, "Sir Conrad, would you please lead Princess Annie and her companions to her chamber? The journey has surely worn them out!"

Out of the crowd stepped another knight. He bowed to Annie, "Please follow me, Princess Annie. I will lead you to your new chambers."

The crowd of servants and nobles began to disperse as Sir Conrad led the group into the castle. Behind Annie, Arthur and Auggie flanked Reva. They glared possessively at anyone who got too close to their Princess.

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><p>"Well, what do you think of him," Reva asked several minutes later. Conrad had left them at her chambers, and Arthur and Auggie had taken up their post outside the doors.<p>

"Who?" Annie sprawled out on the massive bed, "The King? He's a bossy creep."

Reva gave her an exasperated look, "No! Prince Jai, of course! What do you think of Prince Jai?"

"He's okay," Annie looked up, "And is it really your place to ask me that?"

Reva looked down, humbled, and fidgeted with the seam on her dress.

"Oh, stop it Reva, you look like a whipped puppy. I'm sorry I snapped at you. It's been a rough day," Annie shrugged, "Besides, you know I prefer it if you talk freely with me. You're a friend to me, not just my maidservant. Now, what do _you _think of the Prince?"

Reva colored slightly. Her eyes drifted downward while Annie smirked in satisfaction.

"Well, he's not so bad, I guess..." Reva trailed off, her gaze firmly fixed on the floor as her cheeks got even redder.

Annie continued to smirk, "I see. Well, unlike you, I don't want to marry him, so—"

"I never said that!" Reva exclaimed as she colored even more. She looked up at Annie in righteous indignation and her mouth opened in protest.

"Ah, but it crossed your mind, Reva. Don't try and hide it," the Princess grinned at her, "As I was saying, I need to think of a way to get out of this situation. And fast."

"You're going to try and break up your own marriage?" Reva gasped, "That's insane, Annie."

"What's really insane is the fact that I am being forced to marry a man I have _just _met and seem to have nothing in common with," Annie scowled, "Besides, he seemed as unhappy to be there as I was. Perhaps he doesn't want to marry me as much as I don't want to marry him."

The maidservant just stood there, "Do you know that for a fact?" she asked. She had learned long ago that she must be the voice to reason with Annie's crazy schemes.

The Princess stood there while she thought and quickly became flustered by the question, "No. No, I don't...But, he seemed that way. He was so cold to me," she sighed for what must have been the hundredth time that day, "Oh, I wish you wouldn't point the truth out to me so often, Reva!" she laughed at the end.

"Perhaps you should give him a fair chance," Reva suggested, "You did just meet him after all. Maybe he won't be so bad?"

The last part was more of a question than a statement.

Sighing heavily (once again), Annie rolled over with a pillow clutched to her chest, "All right then. I'll give it a couple more days."

Reva's response was cut off as the chamber doors burst open. Two young girls ran in. They stopped at the foot of the bed to stare at Annie as though she was a circus show.

"Wow," the younger one breathed, "You must be Jai's wife!"

Annie was about to answer hotly that she was no such thing, but thankfully Reva cut her off. She moved to stand between the children and the angry princess.

"Hello, girls. Who are you?" She smiled sweetly down at them.

Returning the smile, one answered. "We're Katia and Chloe!"

"Jai's little sisters! I'm Katia, she's Chloe," the other girl clarified.

"You're going to marry Jai, right?" Chloe looked at Annie longingly.

Annie decided to play along and gave a half-hearted smile, "Yup. That's what they tell me."

"Yay!" The girls gave identical squeals and fled the room. Their loud giggles could be heard as they ran down the corridor. Arthur and Auggie poked their heads in the doorway.

"Why did you let them in?" Annie demanded. She glared hotly at her guards, who promptly burst into laughter.

"Sorry, Princess, but they threatened to step on out feet," Auggie choked out. He laughed even harder at the simplicity of the threat, "_'We want to meet Jai's wife,'_" he imitated Katia's voice which caused Arthur to laugh even harder.

"I am not his wife! I am only here because my idiotic king of a father insists!"

Still laughing, they went back into the hallway and closed the door behind them. However, their laughter echoed through the wooden door. Annie glared at the door sourly, then retreated to the bed with a sigh.

"At least _someone's _happy to be here."


	5. One Very Stubborn Princess

**Honor**

**Chapter Five: **One Very Stubborn Princess

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><p>Princess Annie and her maidservant, Reva, gave simultaneous jolts of surprise when the door creaked open only minutes after the interruption by Katia and Chole. Sir Arthur bowed to Annie and promptly admitted a young vassal into the room. The young boy, who seemed no more than thirteen, gave an awkward bow, as he was staring openly at Annie's honey blonde hair and porcelain features.<p>

"H-his Highness Prince Jai wishes an audience with you in the main parlor, and his Royal Highness, King Henry, wishes me to inform you of a b-ball to be held tonight in your honor."

Annie bit back her immediate response of 'Go tell Prince Jai to boil his head,' instead responding with a mild, "Yes, of course, thank you."

Arthur escorted the boy out, casting Annie a sympathetic look over his shoulder as he did so.

Once the doors had closed again, Annie shifted her attention to her maidservant, "You win, Reva. I suppose I have to give him a chance. I also suppose that this audience is supposed to private, or I would have you accompany me. As it stands, I must face him eventually."

Marching purposefully towards the door, Annie opened it and headed down towards the main parlor.

Annie found that the young vassal had waited her in the hallway and proceeded to lead her and her ever-present two guards through the castle to the thick wooden door of the main parlor. He knocked once at the door before opening it for Annie to enter. The wary Princess found that Prince Jai was already inside. He rose when she entered, giving her a small, slightly-forced smile. Sirs Arthur and Auggie came in behind her, silently taking up posts on either side of the doorway with stone expressions and crossed arms.

"Ah, Princess Annie..." Jai trailed off, obviously uncertain of how to continue. He cast a nervous glance at her two intimidating guards standing by the door, "Thank you for joining me. I understand you must be tired from your long journey so I won't keep you long."

"Of course," Annie murmured, "That's fine."

"I thought maybe we could get to know each other better," he offered lamely. Annie sighed to herself. She was still unconvinced that he really wanted to marry her, no matter what Reva had said. Well, at least he was trying. Jai gestured to the chairs behind him, "Would you care to sit?"

Annie answered by taking a seat, prompting him to do likewise.

It was Annie who spoke first, "Do you want to marry me?"

The Princess saw no sense in beating around the proverbial bush. She had to know what Jai thought.

The Prince's answer was immediate, "Absolutely!"

Jai paused, looking uncertain. Finally, he admitted in a hoarse whisper, "No, no I don't. Not really. That's not without saying that you are incredibly gorgeous, of course, and I'm sure you're very nice too, it's just...well..."

Wringing his hand, the Prince sighed loudly and turned to glance out the nearby window.

Annie smiled smugly. Obviously, they couldn't force them into a marriage neither she nor Jai wanted. Perhaps this would turn out fine.

"But I have to anyway," Jai finished strong. He turned back to face the Princess.

Annie's jaw dropped and she promptly gaped at him like a fish.

"No, you don't!" she exclaimed, "Why would you marry someone you don't want to?"

The idea was stunning and unfamiliar and Annie wasn't initially fond of it.

Obviously, Jai found Annie's view as shocking as she found his, "I don't have a choice," he stated in a matter-of-fact manner, "I have to do what tradition dictates. Tradition says I must wed the woman my father chooses. That's you," he added with a scowl.

"Oh, and I suppose if your father told you to jump off the north tower you'd do that too," Annie smirked. She sounded incredulous.

Jai scowled at her reasoning, "This is a matter of family honor! The reputations of both our families are at stake," he insisted.

Annie gave a short bark of laughter, "Obviously, you are not aware of the reason why my father had to send me to France to find a husband!" She paused to gauge the Prince's reaction. He met her gaze and gave her his full attention, "I'm sort of the 'black sheep' of the family. I'm not what most would consider a 'proper princess.'"

Jai nodded in understanding, "That's okay, I'm always getting yelled at for ignoring my father and flirting shamelessly with the women who work in this castle. That's probably why my father agreed to our betrothal in the first place."

"Well, I think honor should be put after your heart and your dreams and choices and hopes," Annie replied, "No one ever understands. My father used to scold me constantly for running about our kingdom. He called me improper and boyish, though I believe I was just being curious and adventurous," Annie explained with a loud sigh.

Jai looked at her and shrugged, "Well, your opinion isn't going to mean much right now, Princess Annie. It's not like you can go home anyway," Jai gazed at the princess thoughtfully, "Although, you do make an excellent point, however."

Sighing in despair, Annie rose, "Very well. Farewell, your Highness, I shall see you at the ball tonight."

Jai was forced to watch helplessly as she strode out of the room, flanked by her guards.

* * *

><p>As they marched up the stairs, Auggie voiced his opinion, "He didn't seem that bad to me."<p>

Annie was about to tell him to mind his own business, but stopped when she realized that if she let her servants talk freely, the same should apply to the guards. If she took pride in being improper and individualistic, she should accept those qualities in her staff as well. And Sir Auggie wasn't too bad. He was at least a little bit closer to her age, besides Reva. Sir Arthur was clearly several years older than Sir Auggie, Reva, and herself. Although she would never admit it aloud, Sir Auggie was much better looking than Prince Jai. With his every-messy brown hair and swirling hazel eyes. Even with the small scar near his left eye. She would have to ask him about that sometime later.

"At least he's nice," Arthur added thoughtfully with a half-hearted shrug, "Though I must say that wasn't a great start to your relationship there, your Highness."

"Considering neither of us wanted a relationship in the first place and that we are two completely different people, I would say it went rather well," Annie replied, "And there won't be a relationship if I have any say in it."

"Couldn't you at least be friends with him? Or try to be?" Arthur suggested as he gave the princess a small smile.

"_Friends_," Annie sighed, "I can handle friends. We are certainly not a couple, however," she emphasized with a soft groan. Auggie nodded and shot Arthur a meaningful look that Annie failed to notice.

"Your maidservant seems taken with him though," Arthur mused thoughtfully. He put a finger to his chin as if in deep thought. Annie gasped in surprise, eyes wide as she looked up at her older knight with a shocked smile on her face.

Auggie gave a cocky smile, "Those doors aren't as thick as the ones you're used to in England, Princess. We stand next to those doors all day long; we had to find something to entertain us all day or we would surely lose our minds," He had the nerve to send her a not-so-subtle wink when she blushed lightly.

Taken up in the moment, Annie laughed, "You were eavesdropping? On a Princess? You are both incredibly brave, but do _not _forget that I can always contact my father and have you _be-_headed!"

Her joke was taken well, because all three began to laugh.

"Okay then, do you two have any other opinions I should know about?"

They both nodded earnestly.

"You should try wearing red more often, Princess," Auggie said with a wide grin.

"We noticed you prefer darker tones," Arthur motioned towards her dark grey dress, "But red is a nice, darker color too. But it's bolder and would work well with your skin."

"It would look very good on you," Auggie added with a quick nod, which caused Annie to laugh again.

"Fine. Then I will wear my red gown tonight, I guess," she agreed with a wide smile before she entered her chambers and closed the doors softly behind her.

* * *

><p>Annie swirled gracefully around in front of the full-length mirror that stood at attention in a corner of her large chamber.<p>

Reva nodded approvingly in the reflection, obviously pleased with the dress, "Red is a fantastic color on you, Annie," she informed the skeptical Princess, "You should definitely wear this color more often. It's dark, but also bolder."

"It's funny; Sir Arthur and Sir Auggie told me to wear this dress. And they said that exact same thing," the Princess informed her with a shrug. She had a feeling the two knights were smugly listening to their conversation on the other side of the door.

"Well, your guards are very sensible when it comes to fashion, then."

Staring at her maidservant's reflection, Annie asked a question, her eyebrows knitted together in question, "Well then, what dress are you wearing, Reva?"

The maidservant gasped, "Me?"

Annie swirled around to face her companion, "Of course, Reva! You're coming too! I'm not spending the evening surrounded by these French nobles alone! That would be worse than murder! And I would be bored to insanity! I would suggest you borrow my light yellow gown, the one I never really wear. It would look gorgeous with your dark hair."

Reva didn't move, still shocked at the idea.

"Well, go on, get changed!" The princess practically shoved Reva into her adjacent chamber. The Princess tossed the dress in after her and closed the chamber doors with a soft thud.

"If I have to go through this torture," Annie spoke through the door, "Then I'll need my friends by my side."


	6. Dance With Me

**Honor**

**Chapter Six: **Dance With Me

* * *

><p>Princess Annie strode confidently through the open doorway into the massive dance hall. Her maidservant, Reva, followed a few paces behind her, uncertainly shuffling her feet underneath the pale yellow dress. It was a tad too long on her, as she was noticeably shorter than her princess, which caused the gown to sweep along on the floor behind her like a cape. Sirs Auggie and Arthur, ever diligently following as per usual, were struggling not to tread on Reva's dress. They too had dressed up, looking less like royal knights and more like English noblemen.<p>

Finding an empty spot by the massive wall of windows, Annie halted her little parade with a small sigh. Peering intently into the crowd, she couldn't see anything beyond the swirling skirts of the French ladies, some of whom were staring at Annie quite openly. Glaring back, Annie drew herself up to her full height, as if to dare the women to comment on her obvious bad attitude. Defeated, the women returned to their dancing and their companions, leaving Annie to her thoughts.

Several songs and a rather long uncomfortable silence between Annie and her company later, Prince Jai arrived wearing very expensive looking attire in a shade of deep blue with gold accents. Grasping Annie's hand, he pulled her gently away from the wall, "Come with me. My father wants to announce our engagement to the room. As you probably know, it's best he isn't kept waiting."

Annie realized he must have known where she was the entire time, but hadn't approached her until then.

Jai led her to the front of the room where a throne sat on a raised section of the floor.

On the elaborately decorated throne sat King Henry, a large, clearly-faked grin dawning on his face when Jai and Annie approached him.

"Ah, Princess Annie, darling," he practically cooed. His tone of voice sounded, if even possible, _more _fake than his facial expression, "Oh, it is such a lovely evening. The weather is fantastic, if I do say so myself. Are you enjoying your ball, Princess?"

Plastering on a fake smile to match the King's, Annie gave a small curtsy and answered him in perfect French, "Yes, my Lord. Both the weather and the ball are spectacular. Thank you very much for hosting this beautiful party it for me. It is quite an honor."

The King laughed heartily at her use of French. Before, she had addressed him in English. Jai also looked quite shocked; his earlier conversation with her in the main parlor had also taken place in her native tongue. He was fluent in English of course, as he was in the language of any country France did business with, but the Prince hadn't realized his bride-to-be shared this skill.

"You speak French?" Jai asked Annie with a blink, still shocked.

Annie nodded and shrugged, "Yes. I could since I was quite small. Language always came easy to me, I guess."

The King smiled, the action a little more sincere than his earlier one. Signaling to the band with a quick wave, he stopped the music and all eyes turned to the platform and its occupants.

"Welcome, everyone," the King's deep voice boomed and echoed in the massive room, "Tonight's ball is held in the honor of Prince Jai's betrothed, Princess Annie of England!"

The room erupted into muffled applause as Annie stood awkwardly, shifting her weight from one foot to the other under the silky blood red fabric of her gown. After what seemed like an eternity, the band started up again with a slow waltz.

To her relief, Annie found that Arthur, Auggie, and Reva had followed her to the platform and were waiting for her at the edge of the crowd. Just when she reached them, however, Annie felt a small tap on her shoulder. Turning quickly, she found Jai standing behind her, trying (and failing) to hide the small scowl gracing his dark features.

"Would you care to dance, Princess?"

Secretly giving Reva a very desperate look, Annie groaned quietly to herself and responded to his question, realizing that she had to dance with him. She was his fiancée after all.

"Of course, Jai."

Taking his offered hand, Annie allowed Jai to lead her out to the middle of the floor, where the crowd parted to give them room to dance. Letting her mind go numb, Annie let her body go on autopilot, suddenly thankful for her teachers making her learn French-style dancing. The song was an easy waltz and both Annie and Jai eased into an uncomfortable silence, neither of them knowing what to say to the other. Thankfully, the song was short and, when it ended, Annie detached herself from Jai, nodding a silent thanks in his direction before slipping away into the crowd.

"I'm glad that's over," she breathed upon finding Reva and her guards. They stood against the wall of windows once again.

"He can't be _that _bad," soothed Reva gently, which earned a pointed look from the Princess. Suddenly, the maidservant's demeanor changed and she gave a quick curtsy to a figure behind Annie, blushing faintly as she did so. The Princess turned to see that Prince Jai had again approached her.

"Would you care to dance," he cleared his throat and sighed softly, "Um...again?" His tone suggested that perhaps he was doing this to please his father rather than to please himself.

"Actually," Auggie stepped forward as he spoke. He placed one of his large hands gently on Annie's bare shoulder as he continued, "The Princess has promised to dance with me."

Looking greatly relieved, Jai shot Auggie a thankful look, "Very well then." He allowed himself a small smile as he turned and quickly strode away to find another dance partner. Annie wheeled around sharply to look at Auggie, eyes wide with questioning, "Did you mean that?"

Auggie blinked and shrugged. He took his hand off her shoulder and ran it through his ever-messy brown hair, "Well, Princess, you didn't seem to want to dance with him again, so..." He trailed off helplessly and felt the beginnings of a blush forming on his cheeks.

Grinning widely, Annie grabbed his hands, "Okay, Auggie. Let's dance then."

Reva stared in shock as the two headed out to the middle of the dance floor. Arthur gave a pleased chuckle and the maidservant turned to look up at him with a questionable look. He caught her gaze, nodded his head toward the Princess and his own counterpart, "Well, Miss Reva, what do you think of that?"

"I think," the woman answered as she shifted her attention from Arthur back to the dancing couple with an amused smile on her face, "that Annie's father is _not _going to be pleased with this."

Arthur laughed loudly, a large grin spread on his face at the thought.

"No, I suppose he isn't."


	7. Charming

**Honor**

**Chapter Seven: **Charming

* * *

><p>Princess Annie allowed Sir Auggie to lead her out to the middle of the floor, where the crowd parted to give them room to dance. And, with an effortlessly graceful move, Auggie had swung Annie around to face him. His hands landed comfortably on her tiny waist.<p>

"Ready, Princess?" He asked as a coy smile graced his handsome features.

"Always," Annie smiled in return before allowing Auggie to lead her in the slow French waltz.

However, dancing with Auggie, as Annie soon realized, was entirely different than dancing with Prince Jai. Auggie was confident in his abilities and surprisingly graceful on his feet. Never once did he step on her toes or stumble while making a turn. His hands never strayed from their place on her waist and lower back, and his eyes never left her own. Annie felt as if she was endlessly twirling into the soft brown of his almond-shaped eyes.

"So are you enjoying your time here in France," Auggie asked suddenly to break their silence.

Annie sighed, "Not exactly."

Auggie's expression turned to one of concern, "And why is that?"

Annie grimaced, "The arranged marriage seems to have dampened my vacation a little bit."

"So you don't like Prince Charming over there?" Auggie nodded his head in the direction of Prince Jai, who was dancing with a voluptuous blonde woman, a painstakingly bored expression on his face. The woman clearly didn't see the Prince's boredom, and therefore continued to chatter on and on while the Prince pretended to listen.

Annie shrugged, "Not my type, I guess."

At this, Auggie quirked an eyebrow and grinned sneakily, "So the Princess as a type, eh?"

Annie blushed slightly, "Perhaps."

Auggie chuckled and pulled Annie a little closer to himself as the orchestra changed to another slow waltz, "Care to share?"

Annie shook her head.

Auggie playfully pouted, "Secrets don't make friends, Princess."

"Not now," Annie smiled and bit her lower lip shyly, "But I might tell you someday."

The pair danced in silence for a few minutes. They enjoyed the music and the comfortable atmosphere between them. However, it was not before long that Annie sparked up another conversation.

"Well, Sir Auggie, since you seem so keen on asking me personal questions, it's only fair I get to return the favor," The smirk that graced her features was, Auggie realized, both frightening and shockingly beautiful, "You must have plans to settle down someday, am I correct?"

Auggie nodded, "Yes, of course," he shrugged softly as he continued, "However, I doubt it will all work out."

Annie's expression turned to one of concern and confusion, "What do you mean?"

"It just won't work out," Auggie tried to explain.

Annie looked confused, "And why is that?"

Auggie sighed as he explained, "You see, the woman I admire...well, let's just say she's a little out of my league."

Annie let the subject drop, lost in her own thoughts. Who could Sir Auggie be talking about? Certainly someone of a higher social status than him, considering he said she was 'out of his league'. Which left Annie and her sister, Danielle. Annie sighed, already knowing the answer. It was the obvious choice, everyone preferred Danielle over Annie. She was beautiful, smart, and always followed orders. Being the black sheep in the family wasn't going to get Annie anywhere, and it certainly wasn't going to earn her the affections of the handsome knight standing before her.

Auggie blushed lightly, "I want to get to know you, Princess."

Annie shook her head softly, "Trust me, Auggie, I'm not very exciting. There's a reason everyone prefers my sister over me."

Auggie smiled softly, "You are much so more than your sister."

Annie lowered her eyes to the floor, "But she's so pretty and proper."

Auggie took a hand off of her waist and cupped her chin. He gently raised her head to meet his eyes once more, "I think you're beautiful."

Annie's blushed deepened as she scoffed slightly at his answer, "I'm certainly not beautiful."

Auggie shook his head, "You don't see it, but others do. I do."

Annie smiled softly at his words, "You said you want to get to know me more. I just hope you're not disappointed with what you do or don't see from here."

Auggie grinned at his Princess, "As long as I get to keep looking, I promise you I'll never be disappointed."

And the look in his hazel eyes told Annie that he was speaking straight from the heart.


	8. Set Fire to the Rain

**Honor**

**Chapter Eight: **Set Fire to the Rain

* * *

><p>Princess Annie awoke the next morning to a loud thunderclap that echoed dully around the stone walls of her large, bedchamber. Awake with her eyes closed, she heard her maidservant, Reva, quietly enter her chamber and light a fire in the hearth. Finally, Annie rose. She winced slightly as her feet touched the cool marble floor.<p>

"I have an idea," she suddenly announced from her bedside as Reva stood and turned to face the Princess. The idea had come to Annie the night before at the ball. The fire crackled merrily in the hearth now.

"An idea for what?" the maidservant inquired. She moved to make the vacant bed as she spoke. Annie always had ideas, most of the prone to causing trouble. Reva was sure this was no exception, but it was better to hear the Princess out first before commenting.

"On how to get out of here, of course."

Annie moved to the window to gaze down as far as possible. Hands on her hips she looked from the bed to the window, as if measuring with her eyes. The bed was against the wall next to the window. There were at least three sheets on the bed, plus a large comforter and several extra blankets stashed underneath the bed itself in case she should get cold. She gauged the distance from the window to the ground to be about forty feet, and the blankets, large things that they were, probably would cover only about thirty feet of that. That left a ten-foot drop for Annie to reckon with.

"Don't bother making the bed now, Reva."

Reva looked up at her, clearly shocked, "But it's so high," she exclaimed, having caught on as soon as she saw Annie by the window, "And that storm...! You can't!"

"I'll need one of your dresses," the Princess continued, obviously pretending not to have heard, "All of mine are too fancy, I'm afraid," She moved into Reva's chamber as she spoke. She emerged with a plain dress that any village girl would wear, "This will do."

The maid watched in detached horror as the Princess began tying the sheets together to form one long rope. Annie tied one end to the bedpost and dragged the rest over to the window. Abandoning it for a moment, she slipped out of her nightgown and into the dress selected from Reva's closet.

"This is madness," Reva choked out finally, "Pure madness, Annie!"

Annie gave her a wry smile, "Well, they do say that there's a fine line between genius and insanity. You know as well as I do that I _love _treading along that very fine line. I would say this is my version of both."

The dress was simple, a white peasant top giving way to a dark green skirt. It was more comfortable than any of Annie's own dresses, and she found herself enjoying the freedom of movement it allowed.

"Shouldn't you at least wait until nightfall," Reva cried as Annie started towards the window. She quickly moved towards the older girl, "To leave now would be foolish! Especially with that storm, you'll catch a dreadful cold if you go out in that rain!"

"I'm not staying one more minute in this awful French court," declared the Princess, "Oh, now, don't worry so much, Reva. I'll be fine, even if I have to live out the rest of my days as a village girl. Besides, the storm is going to let up soon anyway, it's been going for an hour or two already, it can't last too much longer."

With that, Annie thrust open the large windows and threw the coil of sheets-turned-rope over the edge into the pounding rain.

Not looking back, Annie grabbed the rope and slowly lowered herself out of the window and down the rope into the rain. She made her way down the sheet-rope rather quickly. She 'oofed' slightly when she dropped to the ground. As Reva watched anxiously from the window, Annie quickly ran towards the castle wall. The Princess ran her hands along the slick stone. She scaled the wall with slight difficulty due to the wetness, but made it to the top. She swung her legs over the wall and, with one last glance over her shoulder at Reva's face in the window, the Princess disappeared over the other side into the dawn. The whole escape took little more than five minutes.

Suddenly the full impact of what had just happened hit the astonished maidservant. She dashed towards the door, and threw it open with a swift cry of, "Sir Auggie, Sir Arthur—..."

—And found herself face-to-face with Prince Jai with one hand raised, poised to knock. Off to either side, Arthur and Auggie could be heard chuckling lowly. Reva stepped outside. She quickly pulled the doors shut behind her to prevent him from seeing into the empty room.

"Ah, um, Your Highness," Reva managed to say. She felt the deep blush creep up into her cheeks, "What brings you to the Princess's chambers at this hour of the morning?"

_'Not now,' _she screamed mentally at him.

"I wanted to speak with the Princess," He replied, his eyebrows came together in confusion, "Is something wrong?"

He watched keenly as the maidservant visibly paled. Arthur and Auggie noticed too, and their muffled laughter abruptly stopped.

"O-of course not, why on e-earth would anything be w-wrong, my Lord?"

This was said a little too loudly from the surge of adrenaline. Reva knew how fake it sounded, but it was too late to take it back now.

"Well then, I would like to see her. Please let me pass."

Jai moved to go around Reva, who in turn moved to block his path. He moved the other way and forward a bit, trying to duck in, and she moved again to block him, consequently pressing their bodies together.

Fighting the imminent blush, Reva stammered out an excuse, "The Lady is still in her bedclothes, Sire, and it wouldn't be proper for you to see her."

The Prince stared at her with raised eyebrows. She was at eye level with him, making it hard to break eye contact in their present condition. This proved uncomfortable for the both of them, so eventually he sighed and spoke, "Very well. I shall return later to see her."

He turned and left, striding off the corridor. His feet made quiet shuffling noises.

As soon as he was out of earshot, the guards wheeled on the maidservant, eyes wide and faces anxious.

"What's wrong?" Arthur asked as he bore down on her.

"Is the Princess okay?" Auggie pressed. He looked worried.

In response, Reva swung open the chamber doors and allowed the men to enter. He led them to her bedchamber. Taking in the scene immediately, both guards rushed to the window and looked down at the rain-soaked sheets that were slapping an uneven rhythm on the carved stone wall.

"She's gone then," Arthur confirmed everyone's thoughts. He turned to face Reva, who gave a nod in agreement, not capable of words at the moment.

"We have to go after her," voiced Auggie. He continued to stare vacantly out the window towards the rising sun.

"You go," Arthur told him, "Reva and I will remain here and try to keep people out of this room. If anyone finds out, we'll all get in serious trouble."

Auggie nodded once, and gave Arthur a grateful smile. Then he leapt over the window ledge and slid down the rope. He took off across the lawn the second he touched the ground.

"Are you worried about her?" Arthur's voice sounded far away to the maidservant.

Reva realized the question was meant for her and she turned to Arthur slowly and nodded.

Arthur gave her a reassuring smile, "It'll be okay. If anyone can bring her back, it's Auggie. He obviously cares deeply about her."

"I hope you're right," Reva whispered as she moved to look out the window. She watched the sky as the storm cleared up and the morning started to break free into sunlight, "I may be only a maidservant and she may be the Princess, but she's the best friend I've ever had."


	9. Paradise

**Honor**

**Chapter Nine: **Paradise

* * *

><p>Annie shuffled uncertainly through the village marketplace. The sun had now come out, and the streets were crowded with bustling townsfolk. They took little notice of Annie, and the Princess found the merry chatter that passed between the villagers comforting. They all seemed so content with their lives.<p>

Annie thought jealously of how simple things were for them. Why, the only thing they had to worry about was the latest gossip! None of these simpletons had to deal with cruel fathers and horrid betrothals and new confusing feelings for a guard. They didn't have to worry about being proper either!

"Ouch!"

"Oof!"

Annie rubbed her head to calm the stinging pain. Opening one eye, she took in the young man she had bumped into. He looked to be about Annie's age with short dark hair and tanned skin. This boy was also rubbing his head, and Annie suspected they would both have nasty bumps soon.

"I'm sorry," he quickly apologized, "That was my fault." He stuck out a hand and helped Annie up off the dusty road.

"No, it was mine," Annie assured him with a small smile, "I was lost in thought and wasn't looking where I was walking."

The man smiled, "My name's Stu, what's yours?"

"Pri-" Annie stopped herself, "Annie."

Introducing herself as a princess probably wouldn't be a good idea.

Stu smiled; apparently he hadn't noticed Annie's error.

"Nice to meet you. I haven't seen you before; where are you from?"

Annie sought for an answer that wouldn't give her away or make her sound like a nutcase, "I'm just passing through," she said finally, "I travel. A lot."

Stu gave a secretive smile, "Are you running from something, Miss Annie?"

Annie's jaw dropped at the young man's insight.

Stu chuckled, "You don't have to answer that. Why don't you come have lunch at my house? As a traveler, I'm sure you don't have anywhere to say," he smiled, "It would be an honor to walk around the village with a young lady such as yourself."

In response, Annie's face blushed and stomach growled. She then realized that she had left the palace without eating.

Stu laughed loudly, "It's settled then. Follow me."

Stu led Annie through a maze of streets and alleys. The Princess's sense of direction was very confused after just five minutes. Finally, Stu turned a corner and stopped dead in his tracks. Annie peered over his shoulder to see what was going on.

A group of men about their age were circling a young woman like a pack of vultures. They were calling nasty names, and the girl had collapsed onto the ground in tears.

"No, Ashley," Stu whispered. He strode forward in a commanding manner and smacked one of the men upside the head.

"Stu," Ashley sobbed out. Her voice lifted slightly at the sight of her best friend. Her long golden blonde hair was gathered in a bun at the base of her neck, but several strands had come loose and fallen askew. Her pale pink dress was badly wrinkled and covered with dust from the unpaved road.

"Beat it, you bunch of hawks," snapped Stu to the other boys, "Leave her alone!"

He had one of the boys, the one he had smacked before, by the collar of his shirt. The boy squirmed and gave the other boys pleading looks. The others turned and began to run away. Stu dropped the boy, and he scampered after them like a lost puppy.

"Hey, she brought this on herself, the little harlot," one of the boys called as they fled down the street.

Annie rushed forward and helped the girl named Ashley up on her feet, "Are you okay?"

"Mmm-hmm," she nodded. She wiped at a tear and tried to smile.

Annie turned to Stu.

"What was all that about?"

Stu sighed, "Ashley and I live with a man named Doctor Scott, along with a few others. We stay with him because we have nowhere else to go, for whatever reason. You'll meet the others at lunch. Ashley was accused of treason and of being a harlot. She isn't, of course, but they still tease her."

"That's awful," Annie gasped.

"That's life," Stu responded, "C'mon, let's go home.

* * *

><p>Stu and Ashley led Annie to a little house just outside of the village. It was hidden in a little grove of trees, out of sight from the road. Out in front of the house, a dark-haired girl laid in the grass and stared up at the now crystal blue sky. The rain clouds had dispersed, and the sun shone brightly.<p>

"Hello, Liza," Stu called.

They walked up a beaten path towards her. Liza rose, and brushed off dust and bits of grass from her red shirt and black skirt. She looked at Annie suspiciously.

"This is Annie," Stu explained, "We met in the village, and I invited her for lunch."

"Hello," Liza said shortly.

Annie gave the best smile she could manage, "Hello."

A small, black dog bounded up and barked wildly at Annie.

"This is Ben," Liza told Annie. The girl bent down to pet the dog. Annie did the same, and Ben licked her face.

Stu laughed, "Well, you've passed Ben's test. Then again, he is quite the ladies man," he chuckled, "Anyway, Come on inside."

Ashley opened the door for them and ushered everyone but Liza inside. The quiet girl had settled back down into the grass. Once the door was shut, Stu explained.

"Liza was accused of stealing secrets from the kingdom and selling them to the local news bulletin. Scott found her and gave her a place to call home."

"Did you find a new addition to our family, Stu?" A man stepped out of another room. He was tall with an average build and light brown hair.

"No, just a guest, Scott," Stu assured him.

"I'm Scott. I'm the doctor for this village." He stuck out a hand to Annie, who shook it tentatively.

"I'm Annie. It's nice to meet you."

Just then, two more girls entered, each with an armful of wild daisies.

"Look at all the flowers we picked, Stu," one gushed. Annie was reminded faintly of Reva by this girl. They had the same hair, though this girl's was slightly darker. The other girl was fair-skinned like Annie with her hair done up into pigtails.

"This is Julia and this is Natasha," Stu told Annie, "Girls, this is Annie, she's going to have lunch with us. Natasha is an orphan and Julia's parents abandoned her in the village when she was a baby," Stu added quietly to Annie.

"Hello," they chorused in unison with wide smiles.

"Put those flowers in a vase and let's get cooking, ladies," Doctor Scott smiled.

* * *

><p>Auggie lifted the boy to eyes level by his shirt collar, "Well? Have you seen her?"<p>

The boy nodded in sudden enthusiasm. It's funny how threat of pain could do that to a person.

"She was with Stu and Ashley," the boy choked out.

As fate would have it, he was the same unfortunate boy who had been picked up in a similar fashion by Stu earlier. Overall, the boy was having a bad day.

"She went home with them."

"And where is their home located?" Auggie pressed. His tone suggested he was sick of the boy beating around the bush.

"A house in a grove of trees outside the village," the boy rasped, losing air rapidly.

Auggie set him down, and the boy staggered away, clutching at his throat as he gasped for air. The guard stalked off in the direction of the grove of trees, which he could see over the housetops.


	10. Skip the Charades

**Honor**

**Chapter Ten: **Skip the Charades

* * *

><p>Annie rose from her seat and followed Stu into the kitchen with her plate in her hand. The Princess found she rather like the feeling of putting her own dishes away. The meal had been pleasingly simplistic, much plainer than anything Annie was used to. However, she had enjoyed it mostly because she ate among new friends.<p>

Ashley smiled at her and picked up a large bucket that sat next to the door, "I'm going to go get some water so we can wash these," she said. She walked out the door and let it shut behind her. Annie listened to the relaxing sound of the laughter that drifted in from the small dining room like a vapor. It seemed strange to her that these people could be happy in such dire circumstances. When you compared their lives to hers, she lived on easy street.

Annie felt a pang of shame rise up in her. Before, when she was in the village, she had thought these people had it so easy. The events of the past few hours had proven her wrong. Very, horribly wrong.

The Princess quickly looked up as a loud scream and a splash came from outside. Annie rushed to the door, took in the scene before her, and burst out with a most unladylike laugh. What she saw was quite an amusing sight.

Stu and Ashley stood in the front yard. Ashley clutched the empty bucket, while a few drops of water slipped out of it. Her other hand was clasped over her mouth in a look of mixed horror and amusement. Annie followed the girl's gaze to where Auggie stood. He was dripping wet and mad to boot. He caught sight of Annie and started towards her.

It was an easy decision to run forward and throw her arms around him with a cry of, "Hélas, Auggie."

"Auggie, speak in English," she whispered in his ear while she hugged him tight. If he called her 'Princess' in French, then her new friends would know who she really was. And Annie didn't want that to happen.

Honoring her request, Auggie began to speak in rapid English, while Stu and Ashley gave the two of them confused looks.

"Where have you been?" he demanded, "Arthur and Reva and I were worried sick about you! We have to get you back!"

He fought the blush that bloomed on his face. He hoped very strongly for it to go away, but that was hard as Annie still clung to him. Unconsciously, his arms wrapped around the princess and pulled her slightly closer.

"I know what I have to do now, Auggie," Annie responded in English, "But first, you're right, I have to get back to the palace."

She released him and turned back to Stu and Ashley. She switched back to French with practiced ease, "I want to thank you both for your hospitality. I am proud to call you my friends."

Stu gave her another kind smile, "I enjoyed meeting you too, Annie."

Ashley smiled as well, "Bye, Annie. Good luck to you. And you as well, sir," she added politely to Auggie, "I hope you two are happy together."

Auggie blushed and started to babble that it 'wasn't what it looked like,' but Annie took hold of his hand and grinned.

"We will, thank you," Annie turned and led Auggie away. She didn't let go of his hand until they were out of sight from the little house.

"How's _that _for thinking on my feet?" she grinned smugly. She was quite satisfied with her acting.

"What was _that _about?" Auggie rubbed his hand self-consciously.

"I didn't want them to know who I really was, so I had to pretend to be a normal village girl."

"What does that have to do with the hug you gave me?" Auggie tried to look cross, but in the end he had to turn his face away to hide his blush at the memory.

"Well, I had to think of a reason for you to show up, so I pretended that we were courting," Annie said with a shrug, "They bought it too."

"C-courting," Auggie choked out. His face turned several new shades of scarlet, "And that was the _best thing _you could come up with?"

"Would you have preferred being my brother, maybe? Besides, do you think I, a Princess, am not good enough to be courting you, a _guard_?"

"I didn't say that," he snapped back, "You just...surprised me, that's all."

Annie sighed, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you just now, and I shouldn't have run away. I learned a valuable lesson out here, and I'm ready to accept my destiny."

"You're going to marry Prince Jai?" Auggie wrestled with the idea. He knew it was right, but it seemed so wrong. He knew, deep down, that he didn't want Annie to do that. And he didn't think she wanted that either.

"I _can _learn to be less boyish and impulsive and become more obedient and proper. And, though I may not like it, it's the best thing for me," Annie reasoned.

Auggie couldn't tell if she said that more for her benefit than his.

"Are you sure about that?" He knew it was wrong to question her, but had to ask.

"Do I have to be?" She sighed loudly, still very much in thought, "Let's go back."

She took his arm again as they passed through the main part of town. Auggie realized she held his arm for the same reason she had held his hand in front of Stu and came to the conclusion that Annie's life was filled with hiding her true self away and becoming someone else. Her whole life was a lie.


	11. Part of Me

**Honor**

**Chapter Eleven: **Part of Me

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Reva nervously paced the marble floor of Princess Annie's chamber. It had been hours since Annie left the castle. If Sir Auggie didn't return soon with the Princess, discovery was imminent.<p>

The maidservant knew that Arthur stood just outside the door. He probably nursed thoughts similar to her own. Despite Arthur's reassurances that Auggie would return with Annie in tow, Reva still had her doubts. She, Auggie, and Arthur all knew the Princess was stubborn and she very clearly didn't want to marry Prince Jai.

On that note, Reva had her own suspicions about the nature of Auggie and Annie's relationship. She smiled at the revelation that marriages between Princesses and knights were not unheard of. They were rare, but not completely against the social structure.

Princes and maidservants however...

The door suddenly opened with a soft creak. Arthur walked into the chamber. Reva noticed a woman who stood in the hallway a few feet behind him. She was a little on the short side and had long blonde hair. She looked to be a few years older than Reva, but the maidservant didn't get too good a look, as Arthur slipped quickly inside and slammed the door shut behind him.

"We have a problem, Reva," he said in a rush, "A big one."

Reva raised an eyebrow, "Bigger than the fact that our Princess is missing? And who was that woman?"

"She _is _the problem," Arthur clarified, "Her name is Joan. I know her from back home. I used to see her around the castle from time to time. She said she was just sent from England."

Reva gave a nod. She was not sure she understood the gravity of the situation.

Arthur continued, "She was sent by Annie's father as a gift to his Princess. Basically, you have a partner now, Reva."

Reva looked mildly shocked, "Another maidservant?"

Arthur nodded slowly. He allowed a half-grin to creep over his face, "She's rather pretty, isn't she?"

Reva sighed and rolled her eyes at the guard before her, "Get your mind out of the sewer and think of something! Should we tell her what's going on?"

"I don't know," Arthur shrugged, "We probably should. We can't exactly leave her out in the hallway forever."

Arthur moved towards the large door. He waited for the maidservant's answer before opening it.

"I suppose we should. Let her in, Arthur."

Arthur swung the door open to reveal Joan standing in the hallway. She looked slightly confused. She gave Arthur a slight curtsy and searched his face for answers.

"These are Princess Annie's chambers, yes?" she asked quizzically. She glanced past Arthur to Reva who gave Joan a kind smile and brushed past Arthur to usher her inside. Arthur closed the door once she was inside.

"Yes, they are. These are Princess Annie's chambers. I'm Reva, her maidservant, and I've been told you've previously met Sir Arthur?"

Joan nodded. She looked around at the vast room, "Yes, we already know each other. We met years ago in the castle. We used to run into each other every once in a while."

"Arthur said your name is Joan?"

Another nod.

"Well, Joan, welcome to France."

"Pardon my asking, but exactly where is Princess Annie?" Joan asked. She turned to look Reva in the eye. Reva broke the stare and looked down. She suddenly preferred the floor to Joan's stern face.

"Actually..."

"She's gone," Arthur interrupted, and Reva sighed with relief, "She ran away this morning. Her other guard, Sir Auggie, is out looking for her now."

If Joan was shocked, she clearly didn't show it on her face. Reva realized that Joan was very good at hiding her emotions.

"But they should be back soon, I hope. In the meantime, we have to cover for them. If Prince Jai or King Henry or anyone else finds out about it, we could all get into a lot of trouble. Do you understand, Joan?"

She nodded as she spoke, "Of course. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Any response Arthur or Reva had was cut off by a sharp tap on the chamber door.

"I demand to be let in this instant!" It was Prince Jai's voice. And he didn't sound pleased. Reva gulped and moved to open the door; there was nothing more they could do.

"The jig is up," Arthur muttered to Joan.

Reva swung open the door and gave the Prince a low curtsy, "Your Highness," she murmured, "How can I be of service to you?"

The Prince suddenly took hold of Reva's upper arm, "You need to come with me. We have to talk. Down in the garden. Now."

Jai hauled Reva away down the hall before she had a chance to react.

"Well, _that _was interesting," Joan said. She exchanged a surprised look with her companion, "That was Prince Jai, I assume?"

"Yes, yes it was," Arthur confirmed with a nod, "This is an interesting twist though."

Joan crossed the large room to close the chamber door. Jai had left it open when he took Reva with him to the garden. She looked around and took in her new surroundings.

"This room is beautiful," she commented idly.

Arthur nodded, "Yes, it is."

Except he wasn't looking at the room.

Joan moved to stand next to the window. She stared out at the view.

"There's a lovely view of the garden from here," she commented idly, "It's very pretty."

Arthur rushed over to join her, "Yeah, you can see it really well from up here. Hey, look, there's Reva and the Prince!"

* * *

><p>Reva followed the Prince out into the sunlight. She worried over what he needed her for and at the same time was ecstatic that she was alone with him. He led her out a ways, down a winding path, before he finally stopped and quickly spun around to face her.<p>

"When did she leave?"

Reva paled. He knew.

"This morning, your highness. How did you find out?"

She knew it was wrong to question her superior, but Prince Jai either didn't notice or didn't care. He gestured to the rope of bed sheets that hung from a window high above them. Reva gave herself a mental slap in the forehead. They had forgotten to pull up the rope! How could they have been so careless? Too late to fix it now; time to deal with the consequences.

"I'm sorry, your Highness. I should have stopped her. I shouldn't have let her leave."

"Why do you say that? It's not your fault at all," he sighed, "Annie is a strong-willed and very stubborn woman. Besides, I'm actually glad you let her go."

This earned him a very confused look from the maidservant.

"Look, I am just as unhappy about this engagement as Princess Annie is. However, as I tried to explain to her, we are both honor-bound to complete it to its full intent. This little stunt has freed us both. Am I to assume that since one of her guards seems to be missing that he has gone after her?" Reva nodded to confirm, "And I suppose he is in love with her as well?"

"Well, he hasn't exactly said anything on that subject, but Arthur and I are fairly convinced he is," Reva smiled. She was just thankful that the Prince wasn't angry with her.

"Good. Then no harm will come to her. They should be happy together. I hope she can live out her days as a simple village maiden," He said it with such a wistful voice that Reva gave him a puzzled glance.

"You sound as though you envy her, Sir" the maidservant noted.

Jai nodded, "To be truthful, I actually do. I have my entire life planned out for me: from what I will eat each day down to whom I will marry. And my father always gets what he wants. My life is not exactly enjoyable," he scowled at some nearby flowers, "I'm not free. I can't go where I want to go or be who I want to be. I have to conform to what others think I should be; their ideal Prince and, eventually, their ideal King."

"But you wish to be free. You want to be happy and free and fall hopelessly in love with someone else?"

Jai thought for a moment, "Yes. Doesn't everyone wish they could live their life for love instead of for honor?"

Reva smiled, "You sounded quite a bit like Princess Annie just now."

The Prince looked down at her and grinned, "Do you really think so?"

"Of course I do. So why don't you do what she did? You should take a stand for what you want."

Jai grabbed her hand in excitement which caused the maidservant to blush a royal shade of scarlet.

"Perhaps I should. Thank you, Reva. It was a pleasure talking to you."

Reva was about to answer when, suddenly, two more figures entered the garden.


	12. Sacrifices

**Honor**

**Chapter Twelve: **Sacrifices

* * *

><p>The two figures that entered the garden were Princess Annie and Sir Auggie. They walked side-by-side along the winding garden path and quietly made their way towards Reva and Prince Jai.<p>

"You don't have to do this, Annie!" Auggie's urgent whisper rang on deaf ears and Annie didn't falter for a moment. Her steps showed her determination.

"Yes, I do."

The certainty with which she spoke was like a slap in the face to Auggie.

Before Auggie could object again, they reached Prince Jai and Reva.

Jai looked stunned to see Annie again while Reva looked an odd cross between relieved and shocked. Auggie noted with a degree of satisfaction that Jai had Reva's hand in his own. The guard looked at the maidservant pointedly and allowed her to follow his gaze down to where her hand clasped the Prince's. She turned red and shook her head to indicate it wasn't what it looked like at all.

All eyes shifted back to Annie as she curtsied low before Prince Jai.

"Your Highness," she started. Her voice sounded strained to Auggie's trained ears. However, no one else noticed this even as she continued to speak, "I have thought about what you said to me before the ball and have come to the conclusion that I was wrong earlier. I agree with you now. It would be an honor to marry you."

There were audible gasps all around, the loudest of which came from Jai himself. Talk about the last thing you expected. His mouth opened and closed several times before he was able to speak.

"You..._want _to marry me?" The Prince asked his betrothed.

Something flashed behind Annie's eyes. Reva saw it, but couldn't guess at its meaning.

"It is my duty as the Princess of England," Annie confirmed with a forced nod.

Auggie glared at Jai, and the Prince flinched under the guard's stern gaze.

"Then, as Prince of France, it is my duty to marry you," Jai agreed sullenly.

Victory had been dangled in front of his nose and then snatched away in a cruel trick of fate.

"Shall we return to my chambers then?" Annie ordered her party in the form of a question. She and Auggie turned silently and started to move away. Reva trailed behind slightly.

Jai was forced to sigh, an action he had been doing quite a bit lately.

So much for freedom.

* * *

><p>"It is a pleasure to see you have returned," Reva finally broke the group's silence as they made their way down a long corridor towards Annie's chambers, "We were all very worried about you, Annie."<p>

"I missed you, Reva, but I learned something valuable while I was out," Annie told her.

"You mean besides how to lie and deceive," Auggie snapped in a tone that verged on sarcastic. Annie chose to ignore that comment and continued talking to Reva.

"I realized how good I have it here and that I shouldn't let a silly thing like who I marry throw such a turn into my life. It's selfish of me to go against the wishes of my father in such a manner."

Reva's jaw dropped.

"Marriage isn't a silly little thing!" the maidservant protested, "You can't treat this like a game, Annie! This is your life! Your future! Marriage is a commitment and whom you choose to marry could decide the fate of your country," the young woman tried to explain the importance of this decision.

Auggie didn't speak, but was inclined to agree with her.

Annie turned to glare at her maidservant, "Are you arguing with me?"

Reva visibly recoiled.

Annie saw the hurt in her friend's eyes and bowed her head in shame, "I'm sorry, Reva. That was cruel," the Princess sighed, "But this is my life and my decision. I can't fight my father forever and I'm sick of trying to carve my way in this world. It's much easier to change and do what others want. This fight is hopeless. It's over. He won, I lost."

"You only lose if you quit," Auggie muttered under his breath. He was quiet enough that he was sure Annie didn't hear him. He had made the wise decision to stay out of the rest of this particular conversation.

The procession stopped sharply as they reached the doors to Annie's chamber Arthur wasn't outside; that was very odd. Auggie opened the door for Annie and Reva.

Arthur and Joan were on the plush velvet couch that sat by the fireplace engaged in a serious lip-lock. Reva started to giggle loudly and Auggie and Annie made identical 'a-hem' noises in unison. The couple jumped away from each other. Their faces flushed into deep blushes.

"Who's your new friend, Arthur?" Auggie inquired with his trademark smirk.

"Oh, you don't know, do you?" Reva said in a soft voice, "This is Joan. She arrived from England this morning. She's here to help me with my duties."

Joan rose from the couch to approach the Princess, face still scarlet, "Your Highness," She started to bow to Annie, but Annie stopped her with a wave of her hand.

"No formalities, okay?" Annie smiled, "You can speak freely with me, and I will do the same with you, unless you are reporting back to my father, of course."

Joan shook her head vigorously.

Annie smiled brightly, "Well then, it's nice to have you with us, Joan. This is my other guard, Sir August Anderson, or Auggie, as he prefers. And I see you have already met Sir Arthur," the Princess added as Joan and Arthur blushed again, "I do hope there aren't any rules here about servants courting guards."

More blushing.

Just then, there was a knock on the chamber door; it caused both Reva and Joan to make a mad dash for it. Joan won and opened it to reveal that Prince Jai had returned. Both maidservants curtsied low and moved away to allow him space to enter the chambers.

Auggie groaned inwardly, but said nothing aloud.

Tension hung heavily in the air as everyone waited for the Prince to speak.


	13. A Change of Heart

**Honor**

**Chapter Thirteen: **A Change of Heart

* * *

><p>"I need to speak with you," Prince Jai looked past the other occupants of the room and straight at the Princess, "Alone."<p>

Auggie shot the Prince a glare cold enough to make hell freeze over but brushed past him and left the room. Arthur trailed behind him. Reva and Joan murmured excuses about having to prepare another bed in the adjacent servant's quarters for Joan. They then made a hasty retreat.

Once everyone had left the chambers, Jai continued to speak, "What happened to make you change your mind, Annie?"

He had spoken slowly, as if he thought Annie was unstable and could be set off by the slightest comment on his part. He was clearly confused by her sudden personality change he witnessed in the garden earlier.

Annie sighed, "I realized my place in the world," she clarified simply, "I have been chosen to be your wife."

"Don't lie, Annie," Jai rolled his eyes, "You know your place. You know who you are. And it didn't seem to bother you before."

"Look, why does it matter so much to you anyway?" Annie snapped. She folded her arms over her chest, "You're the one who said that we had to marry to preserve our families' honor, remember? It seems I'm not the only one who's had a change of heart."

Jai flushed with anger as his eyes narrowed, "How dare you accuse me of dishonoring my family!"

"I didn't say you've dishonored them, Jai," the Princess explained, "I only said you seemed to have changed your mind about the matter of our betrothal."

Jai moved over and sunk down onto the velvet couch. He gave a hard sigh and buried his face in his hands, "So what are we going to do then?"

* * *

><p>Outside in the hallway, a pair of guards listened intently to the conversation going on inside Annie's chambers. The doors aren't as thick as they appear to be.<p>

Upon hearing Annie's declaration, Arthur turned and gaped at Auggie.

"Shut your mouth, you look like a fish," Auggie told him smartly.

"Wait, so she _wants _to marry him now?" Arthur was very confused, "Is she insane?"

Auggie glanced at closed door behind them and shrugged, "Quite possibly. But at least you're up to speed now."

Arthur paused to think before answering, "The question is: what are we going to do about it?"

Auggie blinked at him, "We can't do anything, Arthur. It's not our place."

Arthur gave a quick bark of laughter, "So you intend to roll over and admit defeat?"

"How can I admit defeat to a war I never fought?"

More laughter on Arthur's part, "Oh, but you are fighting a war my friend. And the winner gets Princess Annie."

"That's not true at all," Auggie protested.

"Fine," Arthur smirked, "I guess I'll just have to stop her from marrying Prince Jai myself."

"You're hopeless, Arthur," Auggie gave an overly dramatic sigh and rolled his eyes at his companion, "Just don't do anything stupid, okay?"

"I'm older than you, August," Arthur teased, "Shouldn't I be the one telling you that?"

"It's _Auggie_, for the millionth time," the guard sounded tired, "And I have to tell you this because I'm not in the mood to get in trouble."

Arthur waved off Auggie's comment with a shrug, "Don't worry. I'll come up with something on my own."

"Keep your crazy plots to yourself, buddy."

"Hmm," Arthur paused to think before continuing, "Well, embarrassment is one way to split people up."

Auggie saw the mischief in his fellow guard's eyes.

"What are you planning?"

Arthur grinned. It was a little too excited for Auggie's taste.

"I thought I was keeping my crazy plots to myself, Aug. Can't tell you now, can I?"

Right on cue, Jai emerged from the room. Annie walked out right behind him, her hands clenched into tight fists. Both looked very frustrated. They seemed to be in the middle of a shouting match.

"You are impossible!" Jai wheeled around and attempted to stare Annie down.

She stared back just as hotly, "Same to you too!"

The Princess failed to notice Arthur slide quickly behind her. He was studying the back of her dress with careful precision. He noted how the ribbon simply laced up her back and ended in a simple bow at the base of her neck.

With an impish grin usually only sported by misbehaving children, Arthur quickly pulled the ribbon and the bow easily came loose. The servant's dress that Annie had not yet had the time to change out of fell to a crumpled heap at her feet. She stood in nothing except the bloomers that were worn under it.

Auggie's eyebrows raised into his hairline. He was shocked at Arthur's actions, to say the least.

The Princess gave a loud shriek of shock and rage and bolted back into her chambers. The doors were loudly slammed behind her.

Both guards and the Prince stared numbly at the crumpled dress on the hallway floor.

"What did you do, Arthur?" The question came from Auggie. The question was spoken in a low voice so the Prince couldn't hear them.

Arthur gulped visibly.

Prince Jai excused himself and took off down the hall at a near-run. He was clearly trying to escape the situation with all haste. This left Arthur and Auggie alone in the corridor.

"What did you do, Arthur?" Auggie repeated. He seemed, in Arthur's eyes at least, to grow larger in his fury.

"Heh heh. Well, that was my plan," Arthur explained, "You see, now they won't even be able to be around each other without being really uncomfortable. That's what happens when someone get embarrassed like that," he finished weakly. He didn't look Auggie in the eye.

Auggie opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off when the chamber doors swung open and a fully clothed Annie stepped out into the hall. Arthur shrank back against the opposite wall as though the small amount of distance between himself and the furious Princess would save him.

"Arthur!" Annie nearly shouted. She was visibly shaking with anger, "What did you do?"

Arthur laughed meekly, a nervous response, "Well...actually..."

"You might want to answer her, Arthur" Auggie advised wisely, "How does that saying go? 'Hell hath no fury', or something like that. Well, Hell might not have fury, but Annie certainly does..." He trailed off into his trademark smirk.

Arthur gulped again, "You can't marry, Prince Jai," he blurted out.

"So, to keep me from getting married to Jai, you untied my dress?" Annie concluded.

She sounded amused at his logic, as twisted as it was, "I admire your creativity, Arthur, but this is my decision, not yours, or Auggie's, or Joan's, or Reva's," Annie turned and went back into the chamber. She shut the doors quickly behind her.

"You just got off really, really lucky," Auggie told Arthur. Arthur could only nod in agreement.


	14. Feels So Close

**a/n: Sorry about the late update everyone! Hope this is worth the wait! Thanks for reading! Please review!**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Covert Affairs!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fourteen: <strong>Feels So Close

Princess Annie didn't come out of her chambers for the rest of the night. Sir Arthur was mysteriously quiet and meek, as though the incident had humbled him greatly. In truth, Annie's wrath was obviously a scary thing to experience. It was not something one survived without scars on some level. Even Sir Auggie, who could see the many secrets and lies in Annie's stubborn personality, had a healthy respect for her quicksilver temper now. And he was even more amazed at her level of self-control. If Arthur had unceremoniously disrobed him, he would have done far worse to the foolish guard. He would have at least hit Arthur, that's for sure.

Despite the events, Auggie realized he admired the other guard's gall. Arthur had taken a stand for what he thought was right, even if he had gone about it the wrong way. Like Arthur, Auggie knew he had to do something to prevent the wedding but he was at a loss as to what he could do.

The morning broke into sunshine and with it came Annie. She wore a pale blue gown with her hair braided down her back. Auggie could tell she didn't seem too angry so it was pretty safe to assume she wasn't. Auggie had learned quickly that he could read Annie's emotions like his favorite book, despite how well she tried to hide them from everyone.

Auggie remembered the events that had happened only a few minutes earlier. A young vassal had scampered up the hallway and approached the chambers with a message for Princess Annie. Now she had come out of the chambers with a surprisingly warm smile.

"I am going to the library this morning," she announced to Auggie and Arthur as she stood in the hallway.

Arthur still couldn't manage to speak to her, much less look her in the eye, so Auggie articulated what they were probably both thinking.

"Why?"

"I have to do research on French-style weddings," the Princess explained.

"Your wedding isn't going to be English?"

Apparently, Arthur could speak to the princess after all. His voice was incredulous.

Annie blinked, "Of course. In case you have forgotten, Sir Arthur, we are in France. Auggie, would you please accompany me to the library?"

Auggie simply nodded, "Of course."

He followed her off down the hallway.

The pair had made it down the grand staircase when they found themselves surrounded by the ladies of the court. The group consisted mostly of the ladies-in-waiting of the various female guests and the attendants of the King. They were flighty, fickle creatures that were only concerned with the latest gossip. Annie had forbidden both Reva and Joan to associate with the lot of them to prevent her own servants from becoming similar.

The group's resident leader, a maid of the King's named Claire, stepped forward and pressed her face uncomfortably close to Annie's own.

"Are you really marrying the Prince?"

The Princess drew herself back slightly and stared in annoyance at the presumptuous woman, "Yes I am, and you would do well to address me by my title."

The group gave a collective gasp as though Annie had just sworn at them. They looked at Claire to provide an explanation for this.

She did give an explanation. She shrieked at the Princess, "How dare you! You are not fit to be his wife! We all know about your silly adventure into the village!" At this point the other girls nodded in agreement. They all looked properly scandalized, "We heard all about it: swearing and climbing trees and wrestling in the hay with the stable boys! All your friends back home were boys; oh, I can only imagine the inappropriate behavior that went on! And then wearing boys' britches and running around your castle like a lad yourself! You're certainly not a lady! You don't deserve our Prince! You don't belong here!"

Auggie waited for Annie to snap that nothing had happened in the village. That nothing went on between herself and her male friends back home. To defend herself. To do something. But she simply stood there. She looked suddenly very small. As everyone watched, a single tear charted a course down her cheek.

And then she was back.

"How dare you! How dare all of you! You have overstepped your stations, every single one of you! His Majesty will hear of this!"

The pack of girls paled and started mumbling excuses but Annie was way past listening. She stalked straight through the group of the ladies and moved on. She left her guard little choice but to follow.

Several corridors and an almost unearthly silence later, the tension was shattered by Katia and Chloe. The younger sisters of Prince Jai skipped up and gazed at Annie with a mix of awe and affection.

"Princess Annie, will you play with us," Katia asked innocently.

"Please please," Chloe added for good affect.

Annie managed a kind smile for them but shook her head, "Sorry, girls. I can't right now. I have to go down to the library and start planning my wedding."

"To our big brother Jai," they squealed in unison with smiles on their faces. When Annie nodded, they threw their arms around her waist in glee, "Yay!"

They scampered off down the hall. They were clearly thrilled at the prospect of a big sister.

"They're good kids," Auggie said to Annie as he watched the girls run off.

He didn't get a response.

* * *

><p>"There must be orange blossom fragrant flowers," Annie mused aloud as she traced her finger over a line in the book she was reading.<p>

"That is simply ridiculous," Auggie groaned. He didn't even bother to look up from his own book. "Why do they have to be orange blossoms?"

They sat across from each other at a narrow table in the castle's expansive library. It was so narrow the books nearly overlapped each other but the duo made do with the space they had.

"Fragrant flowers ward off bad spirits. And orange blossoms represent fertility and prosperity," the irate princess responded, "Why must you nit-pick every French tradition?"

"Because it's their tradition that got you into this marriage mess," he snapped back.

"Arranged marriages are an English tradition as well," she argued. She slammed the book shut with a bang.

"Usually among close families," Auggie retorted, "Not among complete strangers that live hundreds of miles away!"

"Oh, who asked you anyway," Annie said sourly. She re-opened the book and glared down at it. She pretended to read.

"You did ask, if I'm not mistaken, Princess."

Annie looked up.

"I did, didn't I," she said in a quiet voice, "Since I'm asking you these questions anyway, what is your opinion of my marrying Prince Jai?"

There was a long pause while Auggie considered. Neither of them noticed as the library door silently inch open. In a spur-of-the-moment move, Auggie mustered up his courage and leaned across the narrow table and touched his lips to Annie's. Her lips were much softer than Auggie could have ever imagined. They reminded him of freshly spun silk. The Princess was shocked at his action, as any would be in her position, but she quickly recovered and returned the gentle kiss. It only lasted a few moments, but through that kiss, Auggie told his princess everything she needed to know. He told her his true opinion of her marrying Jai. He told her his feelings for her. And to be honest, she enjoyed the feelings he showed her. Because his feelings, apparently, were the same as hers.

When they parted, the Princess looked shocked yet pleased. She smiled softly. A bright blush grew on both her cheeks and her guard's.

"I knew it."

The couple jumped apart and turned towards the doorway. There stood Prince Jai. He looked incredibly smug.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading everybody! Please be super awesome and leave a review! Thanks! <strong>


	15. To Be Happy

**a/n: Hello, everyone! Miss me? Haha, just kidding! Anyway, here's chapter fifteen! There are about...hmm...five-ish chapters left. I think. Either way, we are coming towards our big climax and ending chapters! Which is super exciting! Thanks so so much to everyone for the support! Thanks for reading and please please please review because you're all so awesome! Thanks!**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Covert Affairs.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifteen: To Be Happy<strong>

Princess Annie and Sir Auggie sprang apart, but the damage was already done.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Auggie demanded of Prince Jai. The wooden legs of his chair scraped across the hardwood floors as he rose quickly from his seat. He then slapped himself mentally; it wasn't good to be impudent at the moment. The Prince could probably have him locked up just for looking at him the wrong way.

To Auggie's shock, Jai actually answered his demand. "I came to do some quiet reading, though apparently that's not all libraries are good for these days." The last part was said with a hint of amusement.

Annie's eyes were wide and cheeks were scarlet. She leapt from her seat and pushed Jai aside as she ran out the door. The two men gazed after the Princess for a few moments until Jai finally broke the silence.

"Perhaps we should talk, Sir Auggie," he reasoned. He indicated with a wave of his hand that Auggie should sit back down. He took the seat that Annie had vacated for himself.

"Talk about what," Auggie said tersely through his teeth.

"About a certain English Princess who seems to drive us both insane in one way or another."

* * *

><p>Annie had never felt so vulnerable. She had fled to her chambers and proceeded to soak her pillow in tears. She ignored Joan and Reva as they hopelessly tried to coax an explanation out of her. They knew she had gone to the library, but her sudden change in mood had yet to be explained. The maidservants were left to pat her back and coo that whatever it was would be okay.<p>

Auggie had kissed her. A guard had kissed his princess. And the prince to whom she was betrothed witnessed the entire thing.

The thought made Annie happy and angry and scared all at the same time. She had developed feelings for Auggie in the village, but she wasn't sure how deep than ran. Clearly deeper than those she had for her fiancé, Prince Jai, but that wasn't much to go on. He obviously returned the feelings, but that wasn't necessarily a good thing. Love wasn't something that could happen between and Princess and a guard, it simply wasn't done. Especially if it meant having to get Annie's father involved.

"I'm going to the library," Reva whispered to Joan, "It might give us some clues. We have to know what's going on."

Joan nodded. She continued to sooth the sobbing princess. Reva silently exited the chambers.

Arthur waited until the door had clicked shut behind the maidservant before speaking, "What's with Princess Annie? She ran past me crying her eyes out about something. What's going on? What happened in the library?"

Reva shook her head and gave a small shrug, "Annie isn't talking to anyone so we have no idea. I'm heading down to the library to try to find out what's happening. Sir Auggie is still down there I take it?"

"He never came back, so he must be," Arthur confirmed. Reva accepted this information with a determined nod and set off down the corridor towards the library.

Once she was down the vacant staircase, Reva saw Auggie coming her way. She rushed forward to meet him. He continued to walk and never stopped to talk or acknowledge the maidservant's presence. Reva was forced to turn around and follow him down an adjacent corridor.

"Sir Auggie! Auggie! Hey, Auggie, what's wrong with Princess Annie?"

She fell into stride behind him as he walked down the hallway. She noticed that his jaw was clenched tight and his eyes were cold like stone. He also looked guilty and ashamed about something, which confused the maidservant even more.

"I don't know," he said simply after a few moments of walking in silence.

"But you were with her! You would have seen something! What happened?"

"I crossed the line," Auggie said enigmatically without missing a beat.

"What line?" Reva exclaimed, "You're speaking nonsense!" The poor maidservant was beginning to grow annoyed with his nonchalant attitude and short, cryptic answers.

"The line between guard and princess," He sighed loudly as he continued, "Reva, this is all my fault. I messed up. I kissed Annie."

Reva froze mid-step while Auggie continued to walk down the corridor. The information clearly to stunned the girl.

"Where are you going?" Reva called after him after a long pause.

Without turning back to acknowledge her question, Auggie rounded the corner. Reva was about to chase after him again when he responded with a shout.

"The garden. To be alone."

Reva sighed, "Well, he was helpful," she said to herself sarcastically, "Better check the library, just in case Annie found any information on French weddings she wants me to bring up to her."

She backtracked down the corridor to the library doors and entered the vast room. It was empty except for Prince Jai, who had curled up in a plush leather chair with his nose buried in a large, dusty book. He didn't seem to notice Reva. She walked over to the table that was covered in several books about French wedding traditions and started to gather them up silently. A small frown graced her features as she thought about the day's events.

"Taking the books up to Princess Annie, I assume?"

Reva jumped when Jai spoke. He looked up at her now. The book lay forgotten on his lap. She nodded slowly, on guard, as the Prince continued to address her.

"I suppose you have heard the news by now?" He then rolled his eyes and chuckled lightly, "Yes, I'm sure you have. No doubt, of course. The Princess was quite upset, after all," he trailed off with a small shrug.

"You saw it?" Reva prodded.

_Might was well get the full story_, she thought.

"Yes, I did. I'm afraid I upset her though, with a teasing comment I made."

Reva raised a skeptical eyebrow at the Prince. It wasn't in her place to ask for more information so she kept her questions to herself.

Jai coughed uncomfortably and moved on, "Um, how is she? The Princess, I mean."

"In tears," the maidservant said frankly, "So, that was all they were doing...?" She trailed off to let him finish the sentence.

"Kissing? Yes. Don't worry; they had the table between them," He grinned. He looked quite amused.

"Such a pity," Reva mused more to herself than the Prince, "A marriage between them would have no chance of making it. Even if Princesses frequently marry their guards, Annie's father would simply never allow it to happen."

"If marriage for love is such a simple concept, then why is it so hard?" Jai asked with a clear scowl on his face.

"Because there will forever be people trying to control their children's lives. A child of a royal and a guard would be criticized its entire life," Reva sighed as she finished gathering up Annie's books into a neat stack, "It's sad but true. Therefore, Auggie must learn to control himself. His actions today were very reckless and I pray they don't cause any future problems for the two of them," the maidservant looked up from the books to make eye contact with the Prince, "Besides, Auggie knows better. He knows a relationship between himself and the Princess would be hopeless. And Annie is well aware of that as well. They both need to realize how little power they have in this situation. No matter how much they care about each other, they would never be able to be together. Annie's father would never allow it, that's for sure. And they would be forever criticized by the people of our kingdom."

"You said before that I should take a stand for what I believe and whom I love," Jai reminded her, "Would you begrudge Princess Annie for doing the same?"

Reva thought for a moment, "No, I suppose not. How could I? All she wants is to be loved for who she is. Just like you and Sir Auggie and myself. Just like everyone. She only wants to be happy."

"To be happy…," Jai sighed loudly and stood from his dark leather chair. He placed the dusty book on a nearby table, "That's a rather vague goal, don't you think?"

"No more vague than wanting to be loved," Reva answered with a soft smile, "Love and happiness seem to go hand-in-hand these days."

"Agreed. But how would I go about taking a stand for my own happiness?"

"Find the one who you love the most. She is the one person who can make you truly happy, Jai," The maidservant smiled as she met the Prince's eyes, "I mean, love is the key to happiness, after all."

"And what if I think I've found the one I love?"

"Then let her know. You never know, maybe she has the same feelings," Reva's smile dropped slightly and she bent down to pick up the pile of wedding books, "I had better take these to Princess Annie. I hope to see you later, your Highness."

Jai smiled brightly, "Of course. Goodbye, Reva. We shall see each other soon. I promise."

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading everyone! Please review! <strong>


	16. She Will Be Loved

****a/n: I know I haven't updated in ages. It's because I'm graduating high school in a week and I'm trying to finish everything up before I'm all done. Life has been busy, basically. I know this is no excuse, but I hope you all forgive me for not updating. I swear I never forgot about you guys! I just haven't had the time to write or update! Hope you still love me! Please review and enjoy the latest chapter in the adventures of Princess Annie!

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><p><strong>Chapter Sixteen: She Will Be Loved<strong>

Reva set the books down on the coffee table in Princess Annie's chambers. The thump of the heavy books made the Princess and Joan jump up quickly. Annie's tears were gone now, but she still looked rather strained from the day's events.

Reva was beginning to get the distinct impression that love royally sucked, no pun intended.

This conclusion was drawn from both Annie's experiences and her own. Reva knew she had never had a shot at the Prince at all, but one could still dream. Now it seemed he had found his true love. And it obviously wasn't her. Despite her conviction that she could never have him, the fact still stung the maidservant.

Annie saw the troubled look in Reva's eyes, "What happened?" she asked automatically.

"Nothing," Reva assured her calmly. Both Annie and Joan eyed her suspiciously but didn't object to the statement. They figured Reva would tell them when she was ready to.

The rest of the day had passed uneventfully due mainly to the fact that Annie had refused to leave her chambers even for meals, which Reva and Joan fetched for her. Auggie had returned after a few hours of brooding in the garden. But he had not spoken a word as far as the girls were aware of. Auggie had told Arthur about the kiss, but hadn't said anything more. Arthur was still very much in the dark about the whole situation and relied on Joan to fill him in whenever she could.

All through the night, Reva could hear Annie toss and turn fitfully on the four-poster bed. She most likely dreamed of the day's events. Joan's quiet snores had failed to lull Reva to sleep, and she was forced to lie awake with her own troubled thoughts.

Reva wasted no time in the morning. As soon as the first rays of the sun began to creep through her window, she got up and dressed for the day. She then roused both Joan and Annie. The princess looked considerably better rested despite her uneasy night.

Auggie and Arthur were already at their posts. It was a mystery to Reva how they worked out the night shifts, but they were always there when needed so she never found the need to complain.

Scarcely an hour after she woke up, Annie was ready for breakfast. With a deep breath to calm her nerves, the princess opened the door.

"I'm going down to breakfast," she told her guards. She then turned and swept down the hall in a near-run. Auggie's face took on a pained expression, but he remained silent. Arthur noticed this but said nothing. His fellow guard had explained his deed to him, so Arthur understood the gravity of the situation.

-x-

Annie had heard the trumpets from the dining hall. Jai was there also, along with various other nobles. They streamed out to the courtyard to see what was going on.

The English Princess's breath caught in her throat at the sight. A single carriage rode through the castle gates. This would not have been overly remarkable save for the fact that it was nearly identical to the one in which Annie had arrived. And that the face that peered out of its single window at that of Annie's sister.

Annie rushed out of the crowd to greet her sister. One of Danielle's guards opened the door for her. She stepped out in all her pink-dressed glory and beamed brightly at the crowd of people in front of her.

Annie gaped at her, "Danielle...?"

The older girl hugged her shocked sister, "Who else?"

Annie pushed her away but held on to Danielle's shoulders. She gazed at the girl up and down in disbelief, "Why are you here?"

Danielle giggled, "What, no 'Great to see you, sister dear'?" She winked at Annie and continued, "Actually, father sent me to check up on you. But surprising you with my arrival was my idea."

Annie's eyes narrowed, "Father doesn't trust me so he sends you along as his spy," she said with a frown.

The crowd grew restless and Annie realized that her sister had not been introduced and that they had been speaking in English, which most people did not understand. She looked around until she spotted a young page dressed in bright orange. Annie shrugged. He would do. She stalked over to the younger boy and whispered Danielle's title in his ear. He nodded and proclaimed it loudly. The crowd seemed pleased with the news and dispersed.

"Well, that was certainly interesting," Jai commented under his breath in French. He was apparently the only one left. Danielle eyed him with what was obviously disdain.

"And who do you think you are to address us," she snapped in perfect French, "Probably some kitchen boy."

"Actually, Danielle, this is my fiancé, Prince Jai," Annie corrected her. She stifled a laugh as Jai's face grew hot. The older princess's eyes opened wide in surprise.

"Oh! My apologies, your Highness," Danielle said. She didn't look particularly sorry about her mistake though.

"Not a problem," Jai told her.

Annie nervously shifted her weight from foot to foot, "I will show you to my chambers," she informed her sister and started out before Danielle could object.

-x-

Annie was grateful to shut her chamber doors behind her. Auggie and Arthur had bowed to Danielle when they spotted her. They were both clearly shocked by her presence. She was clearly the last person they expected. Reva too was surprised, but she hid it well. Joan's face mirrored Reva's.

Annie and Danielle sat across from each other, Annie in the large chair and Danielle on the couch with the table between them. The sisters were engaged in a battle of wills.

"Why did you come," Annie demanded.

"Because father sent me."

"But why did he send you? Certainly not to say hello."

Danielle sighed, "I'm here to make sure you marry kitchen-boy out there.

Reva and Joan, who had busied themselves with making Annie's bed in order to hear the conversation, exchanged raised eyebrows at Jai's newfound nickname.

Annie rolled her eyes, "How did I know?" The question was rhetorical.

"So how have things been for you?" Danielle asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"Interesting," Annie told her. She then proceeded to fill her in on everything up to the kiss the day before.

"He kissed you!" Danielle's voice jumped an octave as she shrieked in surprise.

"Yes. But I kissed him back, technically," Annie defended with a shrug. Danielle grew more agitated.

"Annie! You shouldn't have done that! Father will be in fits when he finds out."

Annie hung her head at Danielle's ignorance, "That's why he's _not_ going to know, at least not until I decide what to do about it," She smoothed an imaginary fold in her dress, afraid to meet her sister's gaze.

"What do you mean, _'until you decide what to do about it_?'" Danielle shouted at her sister. Annie could feel the older girl's eyes bore into her even from across the table, "You can't possibly be considering..." Danielle groaned. She threw her hands up into the air with frustration, "But that breaks _every_ rule in the book! Annie, you can't, you just can't!"

"I can do as I please, Danielle," Annie informed her with the normal fire back in her eyes.

"Sister dear," Danielle pleaded, "I only want what's best for you..."

"Are you saying you would rather I marry royalty and live miserably than marry for love and live happily until the day I die?" Annie's eyes held a dangerous glint.

For the second time in two days she missed the door creaking open.

"I'm saying you should consider your actions! Can you possibly be in love with a guard?"

"She should be in love with who makes her the happiest," replied a deep voice.

The girls turned to see that Prince Jai had entered.

He turned to Reva, "I need to speak with you. Privately."

The shocked maidservant nodded and left the remainder of the bed to Joan, hoping that the older woman would fill her in on the rest of the discussion later. Her heart ached to see Jai; no doubt he wanted more advice on how to romance this girl he was in love with.

At least she could be friends with him, right?

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><p><strong>Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Things are really starting to heat up, can't you tell? I can't wait to hear your reactions to the next few chapters! Please review and tell me what you thought about this chapter! The good, the bad, and the ugly! Thanks! :)<strong>


	17. Follow Your Heart

**a/n: Hello, folks! I know I just updated a couple days ago, but I'm feeling generous so I'll post another chapter. As a thank you, you should all review! I really want to reach 100 before this is over! Please help me reach my goal! Thanks everyone who reads this story! I love you all and I'm so happy you like my writing! Please enjoy and please review! I love hearing your thoughts on the chapters; your likes, dislikes, favorite parts, favorite lines etc. I love love love to hear from you. Please let me know what you think about this chapter or this story as a whole. It would mean a lot thank you! ENJOY**

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><p><strong>Honor<strong>

**Chapter Seventeen: Follow Your Heart**

Reva and Prince Jai excused themselves from Princess Annie's chambers. The Prince led Reva through several hallways, down the large main staircase, and out the doors into the grand sunlit garden. She was vaguely reminded of their previous encounter in this very same place, but the feeling seemed slightly different somehow.

Jai led her deeper into the garden than before to be sure they were totally alone. There was a stone bench under a willow tree and he gestured for Reva to be seated upon it. She did so and waited. She looked up at him expectantly.

The Prince walked over and delicately plucked a flower from a nearby patch. He held it before himself and studied it. He twirled its stem to make it turn in slow, jerky movements.

After what seemed like a long pause he directed his attention to the maidservant.

"You said that when I found my special someone, I should let her know."

Reva could have sworn she heard the splash from when her heart hit her stomach just now. She had tried to steal herself to the idea, but it still stung. He was just asking for more advice on his love issues. He was using her to make a relationship with another woman. Reva made an attempt to remain calm and composed. She faked a smile towards him as he continued to speak.

"I have found her. I have found my special someone and she is the one I want to be my queen."

Reva's heart gave another lurch. She forced herself to smile at him as she rose from the bench, "I'm happy for you, Prince Jai. I'm sure she will make an excellent queen."

"Oh, she will," Jai smiled brightly, "She is stunningly beautiful, insightful, kind, wise, and brave. And I love her very much."

Reva summoned all her self-control and focused it on not bursting into tears.

'It's not like he could marry you anyway,' she thought to herself.

"That's good," she told him earnestly. She willed her voice not to crack. Jai beamed at her.

"Oh, I'm so happy. I knew you would agree," In a shy motion and blushing furiously, the Prince stepped forward and handed Reva the flower.

Reva took the flower in stunned silence. Obviously, this was some kind of thank you for the advice. But she didn't want the flowers. She wanted him.

"I suppose you should tell the King, so that you can break your engagement to Princess Annie," Reva mused. She had stopped looking at his face. Instead, she stared down at the flower in her hand as though it was her life line; the only thing that kept her from breaking down.

"But I'm sure it would go better if you were there too!"

Reva shook her head slowly. Her eyes were still focused on the flower, "No. I honestly wouldn't be much help. I have no business in this matter. Besides, the King would never listen to a servant."

Jai looked hurt, "But if he saw you and saw how much I care about you, he may be more willing to break the engagement. You are, after all, the one I want to marry!"

Reva's mouth dropped open in realization. Her heart floated back up from her stomach to its normal position in her chest. She had read the situation entirely wrong! He _did _love her! Reva beamed up at Jai and he gave a bright smile back.

"Of course! It would go better if I was there, you're right."

Jai sighed in relief.

"But there is one thing," she continued with a smirk. He face fell slightly, "That was not a proper proposal at all."

Jai laughed loudly and got down on one knee before her. He started to blush again. He took hold her hand, small and pale in comparison to his own, and looked up at her, "Reva," he started, "Will you marry me?"

Reva pulled him up and embraced him in a tight hug, "Yes!"

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><p>Annie, meanwhile, had continued to fight with her sister, Danielle. Arthur had his ear pressed to the door to hear the argument.<p>

"You don't want to hear what they're talking about?" he asked Auggie.

The other guard shook his head emphatically, "I'd rather not."

"It concerns you," Arthur taunted with a smirk, "Danielle is currently threatening to have you shipped back to England post haste so she can hog tie Annie and drag her to the altar."

Auggie raised an eyebrow at his fellow guard.

Arthur smiled, "Okay, so it's not _that _bad. She is thinking about having you sent back though."

"I doubt that Danielle would do anything of the sort," Auggie told him, "She tries acts all tough like Annie, but she wouldn't harm a fly."

"Easy buddy, she may be your sister-in-law someday," Arthur teased.

Auggie's face grew dark as he shook his head, "There is no way Annie would ever marry me. Princess and guard aren't two positions that mix."

"Kitchen-boy is out there with Reva right now," Arthur defended with a smirk.

Though Jai's nickname was new to him, Auggie knew whom Arthur had to be talking about.

"No doubt only talking to her, nothing more," Auggie scolded him.

The older guard shrugged, "If you say so. Still, you might want to hear this."

Auggie shot a wary glance up and down the corridor and then joined Arthur at the door.

* * *

><p>"I can marry whoever I want," Annie shouted. She was absolutely fuming.<p>

"So you are willing to defy your father and sacrifice your honor to do it? You break an engagement and soil our family's good name? You will never been Queen this way!"

Annie stopped with a loud sigh, "I don't want to be Queen, Danielle," she said softly. She shifted her gaze to her sister as the epiphany dawned on her, "I just want to be happy. It was never my intention to rule over England and France," Annie started laughing. It was a wild laugh, that of someone who is tired of fighting, "I'm not even a good princess! How could I ever hope to be a good queen?"

"Annie, get a hold of yourself! Father chose you! You have been chosen to rule, not me!"

Annie sagged down into the plush velvet chair, "He chose me, yes, but you're the eldest," she sighed before continuing, "But that's not what's most important to me right now."

Danielle looked concerned for her sister, "Annie, I had no idea how hard this was on you. I'm sorry," She sighed and looked as though she were about to regret a decision she knew was right, "Marry whomever you wish. Be happy."

Annie looked shocked. She leapt up and embraced her sister.

"Thank you! Your blessing means the world to me, sister! Now I just have to figure out who will make me the happiest. Oh, Danielle, I'd gladly trade places with you if you wanted. Then I could go back to England, and you would have to stay here and be hopelessly confused on two very different men. One you're _supposed_ to marry, and the other is the one you're confused _about_."

"I'm sure you already know who the perfect man is," Danielle assured her sister with a smile, "Just follow your heart. It knows what to do."

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please review and tell me what you thought! I love hearing your thoughts on the chapters; your likes, dislikes, favorite parts, favorite lines etc. I love love love to hear from you. Please let me know what you think about this chapter or this story as a whole. It would mean a lot thank you! Love you all!<strong>


	18. All or Nothing

**Thank you all for sticking with my crazy schedule! Thankfully, my last day of high school is tomorrow! Then graduation in a couple days! I am so so excited! Anyway, thank you very much for sticking with this story through every long update wait. Please enjoy this new chapter and please please review! Think of it as a grad present for me! :)**

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><p><strong>Honor<strong>

**Chapter Eighteen: All or Nothing**

Annie and Danielle both jumped as the doors swung open. Jai and Reva walked in, hand-in-hand. Behind them, Auggie and Arthur stood in the open doorway. They both grinned childishly, caught up in the moment and obviously in full knowledge of what was going on.

Annie rose from her chair to greet the Prince. Joan poked her head out of the adjacent room to catch the action in silent amusement. Danielle was also watching with interest, eager to see the scene play itself out. She and Annie had come to terms on the idea of not marrying the Prince, but his response was worth watching.

Eyebrows rose all around at the sight of Reva holding hands with the Prince. The stares caused both of them to blush. Annie put on a bemused smile, but waited for an explanation before concluding anything aloud. If she had learned anything throughout her time in France, it was not to assume things about others, a lesson learned in the village and reinforced in the palace.

"I would like to discuss the terms of our engagement," Jai said to the princess.

"You want to break our engagement," Annie clarified for him with a smirk.

He looked startled at her guess, but nodded, "Indeed. As you can see..." Jai trailed off. His eyes drifted towards his right hand clasped in Reva's left.

Annie smiled brightly, "I'm happy for you two. Have you told your father yet? I'm sure he'll want a say in this."

"Yes, well," Jai looked at Reva for support. She offered none and he hung his head, "We were going to wait a bit to tell him."

The Prince shifted his weight back and forth slightly like a naughty child who knew he was about to be admonished for a wrong deed.

Annie nodded wisely, "I don't blame you. But what about your family's honor?"

The question was greeted with silence for a moment, but Jai eventually responded, "Some things are simply more important."

Annie nodded, "I agree. Some things are."

Danielle broke the ensuing silence with a sharp clap of her hands, "I hate to interrupt, but Annie has some serious thinking to do," She gestured towards the door, "I suggest we all retire to our own chambers for the night."

There was a general mumble of consensus and good-nights were said all around. Annie tried to catch Auggie's eye, but he avoided her skillfully. Reva had left to show Danielle to her own room just down the hall.

Annie flopped down onto the four-poster with a dramatic sigh of exhaustion, "Happy endings all around," she said to her maidservant.

Joan looked at her, confused, "But what about you, Annie?"

"I'll probably be packed back off to England with you and Danielle. I will receive a severe scolding from Father after this little escapade and be locked up in some remote tower until I die."

Joan looked horrified.

"The last part was a joke," Annie assured her with a smirk, though Joan was obviously not amused.

"What about marriage? Ruling your kingdom?" Joan sat down beside her, "Your life isn't over, Annie."

"I never said it was," Annie admitted, "But if I do marry, I want it to be for love."

"And who do you love?" the maidservant pressed.

Annie rolled over onto her stomach, "I'm not sure."

"I'll bet he's closer than you think," she advised, "Just follow your heart."

Annie looked up at her, startled, "That's exactly what Danielle said!"

Joan laughed, "I'm not surprised. She only wants what's best for you, you know that, right?"

"Yes, I do. I just wish it was easier to take that advice."

* * *

><p>Annie awoke to a sunny morning and the sound of Reva and Joan shuffling around and preparing for the day. She rose and found her dress laid out for her. Annie dressed wordlessly and informed the girls that she was going down for breakfast. She had come to a decision, but acting on it would be the hard part.<p>

Slipping out the chamber door, Annie found Auggie alone standing at attention. He looked down at her out of the corner of his eye.

Annie crossed her arms over her chest, "I need to talk to you. Where's Arthur?"

He didn't move. He did blink, which she took as a good sign.

"Down getting breakfast."

"Good. This is important," she assured him.

"What about," he asked, still not making eye contact.

"You. Me. Us. Jai. Reva."

"You are an English princess. I am your guard. I am here to protect you, though it's not always an easy job. The prince is your betrothed. Reva is your maidservant who is in love with your betrothed. Does that cover it?"

"No, that doesn't not cover it!" Tears sprang to her eyes and she fought to keep them from falling. Auggie was still not looking at her directly, but Annie could see the concern flash across his face, "What happened between us?"

"I overstepped my boundaries," It was said simply and quickly, as though he had been prepared to say it all along, "I crossed the line."

"There was no line! _Now_ there is a line, because you can't even have a simple conversation with me anymore! You put this wall up, Auggie! This is your chance to tear it back down."

"How do we know the wall isn't a good thing?"

"Do you trust me? I think that if Jai and Reva can do it, so can we. I like you, Auggie. I love you, actually. I realized last night that I don't care what my family thinks."

"Are you sure you're ready to deal with the consequences of that statement?"

The question caught Annie off guard, but she nodded. She had a determined look on her face, "Yes."

Auggie looked straight at her for the first time. He took her soft cheek in one hand, brushing his thumb under her eye to catch the lone tear that was starting to fall from her eyes. He smiled softly and leaded down to kiss her gently.

Annie appeared shocked when they parted, "How are we going to tell my father?" she asked numbly.

"Personally, I say we don't."

"What?" Annie's eyes went wide and she gaped in shock. Not telling her father. That was as dangerous as it was stupid.

"Let's not tell him."

"_What_?"

"Let's just get married. It's not like anyone can stop us."

"He'll have it annulled faster than we can blink," Annie objected with a sigh.

"And sacrifice the family honor? Never."

Annie gazed at him, "You're really serious about this, aren't you?" It wasn't really a question.

"Of course. We have waited far too long to be happy."

Annie nodded, a grin splitting on her face, "I agree."

"It's all or nothing now," Auggie grabbed Annie's hand and they ran off down the corridor.

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><p><strong>Hmmmm, I wonder how this is going to turn out! ;) Wait til next chapter to find out what happens next! Until then, how about reviewing and making your lovely author happy? Thanks!<strong>


	19. For Love and For Honor

**a/n: Things are getting pretty dramatic. The story is climaxing and then will come to a close shortly after that. Please, please review. I know it doesn't take a whole lot of time and it seriously means the world to me when I get to hear about your favorite lines or favorite parts. Or maybe helping me see an error. Reading your comments makes me a better writer. It really, really does. So please, please, please just spend a minute writing a quick review and helping me improve my writing for the future. Okay, enough begging. Haha, thanks a lot for reading my stories everyone! Please enjoy this chapter!**

Oh, and I don't own Covert Affairs. Boo.

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><p><strong>Chapter Nineteen: For Love and For Honor<strong>

Prince Jai knelt before the ornate throne that held is father. The hall was empty except for King Henry, Prince Jai, and Reva, who was on her knees behind the Prince. The King surveyed them with a suspicious glance that did little to improve the spirits of the two lovers.

The French Prince cleared his throat to speak, "Father, you have decreed that I should marry Annie, Princess of England, to preserve our nations and unite us in the covenant of matrimony and fraternity."

"Yes, I have declared as such. Do you object to this?"

Jai froze before his father. If he were to object the King's orders, he could easily be accused of treason against the crown, which was punishable by death or exile. The punishment itself depended solely upon what mood his father was in at the time. And Jai's father was known for his sporadic mood swings. To say agree to the King's orders would be to betray Reva and what his heart truly wanted.

"I object the decree, Sire."

Jai felt his heart hit his stomach. He then realized that he was not whom had spoken. The voice had come from none other than Reva herself. The Prince turned around and saw that she had stood up. She gazed evenly at the King. Her eyes were filled with determination.

"And who are you to speak so?" King Henry demanded of Reva, "You are no more than a servant woman of Princess Annie!"

"I agree with her, Father," Jai said in a low voice. He gathered his courage and also stood up to face his father, "I do not wish to marry Princess Annie."

There was a long pause while the King decided what to make of this. His answer came with a hard sigh and a shake of his head, "I'm not happy with you, Jai. You dishonor me and my wishes. As my son, you should respect my orders. I am disappointed in you. However, as the Prince of France and heir to my throne, my particular orders aren't important. Technically, it matters very little _whom_ you marry, just that you produce an heir to carry on the crown."

"So it is not important if the mother is of noble birth?" Jai asked in a hopeful voice.

"I suppose not. It would be...simpler if she was. But there is no law against it currently. And some things aren't worth the fuss, to be quite honest."

"Does that mean we have your blessing?" Jai motioned to Reva, who stepped forward to take his hand.

The King gave a long sigh before he spoke aloud, "I guess so. I am disappointed in you, my son, but to fight this would bring dishonor to our glorious kingdom. It's not worth the problems and publicity. The people of our kingdom simply desire an heir to assure the stability and future of their kingdom. They don't need Princess Annie; they just need a fertile young woman. If Reva is able to produce a suitable male heir, then I see no problem in your marriage. Therefore, you have my blessing, I suppose."

"Thank you, father. You won't regret this decision."

"For your sake, Jai, I hope I do not regret this choice. So I assume Annie has already agreed to break the engagement as well?"

Jai and Reva exchanged wide smiles, "She has, Sire," Reva nodded as she spoke, "And I think she may be having a similar discussion with her own father very soon. She might ask him to visit France and speak with her on this matter, actually."

The King looked bemused at the thought, "Hmm, interesting. Thank you for speaking to me about this matter. And be happy, children."

Jai and Reva turned and walked from the room. Their faces flashed bright smiles and their fingers were intertwined together. As the large hall doors swung shut behind the two young lovers, the King sighed loudly and slumped in his large throne.

"Poor Annie," He said aloud to himself in the vast, empty chamber. His voice echoed across the marble stonework of the room, "She is certainly going to be in for a surprise later today. And her father will not be happy about these new changes."

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><p>Annie poked her head around the chamber corner, "All clear!"<p>

She and Auggie sprinted down the final corridor and slammed the chapel doors shut behind them.

Annie had never entered the castle chapel before. It was a large, ornate room with high ceilings. The ceilings were painted with murals of cherubim and seraphim, which soared among the bright, pink clouds. Long pews lined the center aisle and led the way to the altar. A large cross hung on the wall above the pulpit. Off to one side was an organ, to the other a piano. The floor was white and black marble, shined to perfection by an army of diligent servants.

In the first pew, an old man sat with his head in the King James Bible. He looked up when the doors shut and saw the pair standing in the entryway.

"Ah, you must be the English princess I have heard so much about," the elderly man observed in a kind voice and a smile, "I hear you have been quite the troublemaker these past days, miss."

Annie looked down in embarrassment, "I suppose I have, Father," she admitted.

The man chuckled brightly, "Not to worry, my children. What is youth without mischief every now and then?" The question was rhetorical, "Now, what is it that you came to see me about? These days, it seems like people only come to me on Sundays and when someone is on their deathbed."

There was a long pause.

"We want to be married. Immediately, if that's possible," Auggie said in a rush, "Will you do it?"

The old man eyed him suspiciously, "Would you be the guard I've heard so much about?"

Auggie looked flustered, "Yes, I suppose I am..."

The man's face creased into a smile. "Ah, young love. Some things simply cannot be controlled in this world. I was just about to go down to the courtyard; I hear someone important is arriving to the palace today. But, if you insist, I shall preform your marriage ceremony now instead. Please, come forward. It is high time you two got married."

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><p>The long caravan of carriages rumbled and clanked into the palace's beautiful courtyard. King Henry of France was already standing in the center of the cobblestone courtyard. He waited impatiently as his English counterpart emerged from his private carriage. The English King was clearly a military man, King Henry realized as soon as he laid eyes on the toweringly tall man. He had a strong build and wide shoulders and he had almost no neck to speak of. His face seemed to be set in a constant sneer, his bright blue eyes daring anyone to speak against him. King Henry decided that Annie looked very little like her father.<p>

"Welcome, friend, to France," King Henry intoned. He stepped forward to greet his new arrival. As he did so, he tried to hide his scowl behind a grin, "I hope you enjoy your time here in my kingdom. I know you must be tired from your long journey. However, before you settle in to your chambers, I have news that may trouble you."

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><p>Arthur and Joan sprinted down the hallway and burst through the chapel's large wooden doors. They let the heavy doors slam into the walls with a loudly echoing pound. They stood in the doorway with arms thrown wide and legs apart.<p>

Auggie and Annie drew apart from their kiss to look at the panicked guard and maidservant. The priest peered around the couple to see what the commotion was.

"We have a problem," Arthur gasped as Joan nodded frantically, "A big one. I really, _really_ big one."

Auggie and Annie exchanged confused looks.

"What's the big problem, Arthur?" Annie asked.

Joan and Arthur rushed towards the newly-married couple. They reached out and pulled them towards the door.

"Arthur!" Auggie demanded of his fellow guard, "What is the problem?"

Joan, who pulled Annie by the elbow, replied to his question, "It's Annie's father. He has just arrived from England."


	20. And They All Lived

**a/n: Sorry it took so long to post this! Hope you like it! Technically, this is the final chapter, but I am throwing around the idea of writing a short epilogue chapter. More info on that can be found at the bottom of the page. So if you're interested in an epilogue chapter, make sure to read the bottom author's note. Thanks, everyone! Oh, and as of right now, I have 104 reviews! Thanks to everyone who reviewed and pushed me over the 100 mark! I feel so accomplished! Thank you all so so much! Enjoy the story and make sure to read the final author note at the bottom of the page! Thanks!**

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><p><strong>Chapter Twenty: And They All Lived…<strong>

Prince Jai knelt before his father and the English king. A temporary throne had been placed next to his father's to seat the foreign guest.

The English King's dark blue eyes glared down at the people kneeling below him. The French prince willed himself not to flinch under the stern gaze. He could very clearly see where Annie got her temper from, even though she wasn't on the best terms with her father. They had the same withering gaze when they were angry.

A page entered through the main doorway and cleared his throat softly. He then announced in a booming voice that Princess Annie had arrived with her guards and servant staff.

Her guards, Sirs Auggie and Arthur led the way in, followed closely by Annie. Reva and Joan entered moments after. The page spoke again; this time he announced the arrival of Princess Danielle. The older princess quickly swept into the chambers. She was dressed in a dark purple dress. Knowing Annie's preference to darker fabrics, it was clear to everyone that this was Danielle's way of supporting her younger sister.

Auggie, Arthur, Joan, and Reva had knelt their knees as soon as they approached the two kings, but Annie continued to stand at the base of the thrones. Her chocolate brown eyes were wide with a mix of shock and horror at the sight of her father. Her skin visibly paled. Danielle gave an audible gasp that echoed dully through the vast room. It was clear that she too was shocked by their father's sudden arrival to France.

King Henry looked uncharacteristically grim as he surveyed the dumbstruck princesses. The English King looked an odd cross between disappointed and furious.

"F-Father," Annie stuttered. She was clearly at a loss for words, "You're here...In France...Oh, what a surprise..."

"I enjoy surprising _others_," her father informed his youngest daughter matter-of-factly, "I do not, however, enjoy being surprised myself," If it was possible, Annie turned even more pale, "Tell me, daughter, have you enjoyed your time here in France?"

Annie nodded numbly, "Yes, sire."

"Excellent. Are you and the prince prepared to be married then?" Annie saw King Henry stiffen in his throne. It was then that Annie realized that father knew of the break in the marriage arrangement. This was simply a game, a test to see if she would try to deceive him by lying.

But before Annie could give her answer, Jai rose from his knees to stand slightly in front of her. His face was pale as well. Annie could tell he must be scared out of his mind, but he stood tall before the kings and spoke loudly and clearly, "No, sire, we are not going to marry."

Annie was almost pleased to see her father hesitate. He had not been prepared for Jai to answer.

"And why is that," he asked finally.

"Because we aren't in love," Annie announced. She stepped forward past Arthur and Auggie stand next to Prince Jai. It was now or never, sink or swim, do or die.

The English King stood quickly from his throne, "What on Earth does _love _have to do with it?" His low voice was booming and it echoed loudly around the marble chamber, "You are a Princess of England and you will do what is right for your country!"

"For my country?" Annie retorted with a bark of laughter, "My country? More like what is right for you!" She put her hands on her hips and glared up at her father, "This wasn't about joining England and France. It wasn't for one second! This whole mess of a marriage arrangement it was simply about getting rid of your 'black sheep' of a daughter to the only ones who would have her! The day you let me take the throne would be the day that the sky fell!"

"You should want to be Queen!" Her father growled, "It should be your most important goal! Don't you want to rule?"

Annie shook her head, "I don't care about being proper or being Queen or any of those things. I just want to be loved for who I am and that's all I ever wanted!"

The English King's face turned red with anger, "You would break a vow of honor between our two nations? For something as silly as _love_?" He made the word sound like a curse on his lips.

"They already have," King Henry interrupted gently from behind the standing English king. He leaned forward and placed a hand on his companions shoulder to try to ease him back into his throne, "My son has chosen another to be his bride and, if I am not mistaken, your daughter has already been married to the one that she loves."

The enraged king shrugged Henry off and turned back to his daughter, "You're already married?"

Annie nodded, "Just now."

The English king shouted down at his daughter, "Why do you do this? For _love_?" He nearly spat the word, "Love is nothing compared to honor! Absolutely nothing! I need to have a successor, and so does the French kingdom! You must produce a rightful heir to my throne! You've disgraced our family's honor! I can still have you thrown into prison, Anne! This _can_ and _will _be ruled as treason in the English kingdom!"

To everyone's surprise, Annie didn't blink an eye. In fact, she stared her father straight in the eye, "I don't care, father. I'm not scared of you or prison. I am not even afraid of death. You would have disgraced yourself only further when the townspeople of England found out that you locked up your own daughter," her daring smirk turned into a soft grin as she continued, "And as long as you throw Auggie in prison with me, I'll be happy for the rest of my days."

The English King looked stunned. He sank backwards onto the throne and spoke in a quieter voice, "Is this true, daughter?"

"Yes," Annie replied, "I have feelings for Auggie, one of my guards."

The English king looked confused, "Sir August?"

At the mention of his name, Auggie looked up at the face of his king.

Annie continued, "Yes, father, Sir August Anderson. He is a war hero and you know personally that he is a good and noble man. He will treat me well. We love each other very much. So much so, that we're already married. So you can either let us be happy, or have the marriage annulled and have the kingdom embarrassed further," The king looked even more outraged, but Annie continued as though she didn't notice, "Let Danielle be your successor. She's eldest and she is very wise. She'd make a much better ruler than me anyway. I'm too headstrong and I am certainly not proper enough to be Queen. Auggie and I are content with being nobles and counselors should Danielle ever need us."

Her father sighed, "And you allowed them to do this?"

This question was directed at the French king, who also sighed.

"I saw no point in forcing them to be unhappy. And they probably would have done what they wanted to anyway. I'm very disappointed in my son. But he was always a difficult child, so I expect these types of things from him. Besides, it was easier to simply give my blessing to them all. I wouldn't want to bring any dishonor or embarrassment to France. And you wouldn't want to do the same to England as well."

The English king considered King Henry's words and then nodded, "You are right, fellow king. Very well. I see no point in fighting this anymore," He turned to look back down at Annie, who continued to stand at his feet alongside Prince Jai, "I am disappointed in you, as I have a right to be. But I will not fight your choices. Be happy, daughter. And Danielle?"

The younger princess stepped forward, "Yes, father?"

The English king turned to face his eldest daughter, "One day, I will pass on. And I will entrust my kingdom into your hands when I do," he gave his eldest daughter a stern look as he continued, "Don't make the same mistakes your younger sister has. You are the heir to my throne, and our kingdom cannot face any dishonor. You must accept this choice. Do you accept this?"

Danielle nodded, "Yes, father. I have always wanted to be Queen. I will do my best to serve our great country."

"Now, I have received a marriage offer from Count Michael regarding you. Do you accept?"

Danielle looked back at her younger sister. Her mouth was open in a wide smile. Annie simply smiled back and waved her hands as if to urge her on. Danielle turned back to her father, "I would be delighted. I accept his proposal," Danielle said with vigor and a grin.

"That's settled then," King Henry said, "Seems as if everything turned out well for both countries."

The room erupted into cheers. Auggie and Annie embraced in passionate kiss.

As Auggie pulled away, he rested his forehead against Annie's.

"So, Princess, do you believe in happily ever after?"

Annie grinned, "Now I do."

And, with that, she pulled him into another kiss.

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><p><strong>It's done! I can't believe it's over! If you guys want me to write an epilogue chapter about their futures (about 5 or so years in the future perhaps?) then please please write a quick review and tell me you want the epilogue. The review button is massive now, so it's pretty simple to spot. Just click it, say you want the epilogue chapter, and click send. Takes only a few moments. And, during the review, you can tell me what you liked about this story. All the feedback helps me improve my writing! Thanks, everyone! :)<strong>


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